HC expresses anguish over three universities in State functioning without Vice-Chancellors for a long period

The Madras High Court on Tuesday expressed anguish over three universities in the State functioning without Vice-Chancellors (V-Cs) for long periods owing to certain disagreements between the State government and Governor R.N. Ravi, who is the chancellor of these varsities.

The First Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala and Justice J. Sathya Narayana Prasad said: “It appears that in a dispute between various authorities, academics is taking a back seat. The universities are without a regular V-C for almost a year.”

They further said, “The court is concerned only with the academic excellence of universities and not the internal feuds between various authorities. The authorities are required to be sensitive on manning the universities...”

The observations were made while hearing a writ petition ‚led by advocate B. Jagannath who insisted upon the inclusion of a University Grants Commission

(UGC) nominee in the State-government-constituted search panel to identify suitable candidates to the post of a V-C in the University of Madras.

Representing the writ

The court is concerned only with the academic excellence of universities and not the internal feuds between various authorities

petitioner, senior counsel N.L. Rajah told the Bench that the issue of inclusion of a UGC nominee in the search panel was decided in a recent judgment of the High Court in a Pondicherry University case, and also by a Supreme Court verdict in another case.

However, senior counsel P. Wilson, representing the University of Madras, said the High Court’s judgment had been stayed by the Supreme Court. He said that the apex court was seized of the same issue and, therefore, a UGC nominee need not be included in the panel. He further said that the University of Madras wanted to get impleaded in the present writ petition and oppose the petitioner’s plea for inclusion of a UGC nominee.

The judges recorded the submission and granted time till June 5 for ‚ling the impleading petition and getting it numbered.

Before doing so, they expressed their dismay over the absence of V-Cs in three universities.

Mr. Wilson contended that the appointment of VCs was getting delayed because of the Governor.