Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has expressed strong opposition to the new University Grants Commission (UGC) rules that increase the governor’s authority in appointing vice-chancellors (V-Cs) of state universities. He argues that these regulations threaten federalism and undermine the rights of state governments. This statement comes amid ongoing conflicts with Governor RN Ravi over the subject.
Currently, several state-run universities in Tamil Nadu are without vice-chancellors due to this disagreement between the governor and the government. Back in 2022, the Tamil Nadu assembly passed a bill aimed at limiting the governor’s powers by assigning the authority to appoint V-Cs to the state government.
Stalin vowed that Tamil Nadu would challenge these UGC rules both legally and politically. He criticized what he called an “authoritarian move” by the ruling BJP at the national level, claiming it seeks to centralize power and disrupt democratically elected state administrations. He emphasized that educational leadership should be determined by the people rather than dictated by governors acting under the central government’s influence.
The UGC recently released draft guidelines suggesting that non-academics could fill V-C positions, a change that Stalin strongly opposes. He stated that Tamil Nadu, which is home to many top-ranking higher education institutions, will not passively accept any loss of autonomy in its educational system. He pointed out that education is a shared responsibility under the Constitution, and therefore, the unilateral issuance of the UGC notification is unconstitutional.
The conflict between Governor Ravi and the ruling DMK government revolves around the inclusion of UGC nominees in search committees responsible for appointing a vice-chancellor. Currently, universities like the University of Madras and others lack V-Cs, with only Anna University having one.
Despite the universities being funded by the state, the governor has the final say as the chancellor. Tensions escalated in December 2024 when the governor requested the state government to withdraw its notification related to the search committee for the vice-chancellor position at Annamalai University. He argued that the search committee violated Supreme Court directives by not including a UGC nominee.
In response, Tamil Nadu’s Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhian maintained that the state was following established laws regarding university appointments. He pointed out that the governor’s committee included nominees from the state government, university syndicate, and the UGC chairman, which the state argued was not in line with the existing regulations.
Overall, the Tamil Nadu government remains firm in its stance, stating that it will protect its universities from what it sees as overreach by the governor and the UGC. The ongoing feud reflects deeper issues about authority and governance in the state’s educational system.
