Tamil Nadu moves Supreme Court against Governor's orders to appoint Vice Chancellors of 3 Universities unilaterally

Read Time: 04 minutes

Synopsis

Governor TN Ravi has been continuously sitting upon the Bills passed, not considering files, remission orders and policies forwarded by the Tamil Nadu State Legislature, not approving recruitment orders, granting approval to prosecute Ministers, MLAs involved in corruption cases is totally averse to his position as a Constitutional functionary, the plea states

State of Tamil Nadu has now approached the Supreme Court against the Governor's decision to constitute selection committees for appointing the Vice-Chancellors of three Universities in the state.

The Writ Petition is challenging the 3 impugned notifications issued by Governor Chancellor allegedly in exercise of his eo-nominee functions under State Statutes as Chancellor of 3 State Universities.

"The Hon'ble Governor-Chancellor who is conferred with certain ex-officio functions under the State Acts established under the three State Universities namely the Bharathiar University, Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University and Madras University in his usual non- cooperative attitude has been causing impediments and embarrassment in the State Government Machinery and has been issuing notifications through his Governor's office for constituting Search and Selection Committees for the post of Vice-Chancellor(s) unilaterally and contrary to the respective State Statutes...", the plea states.

In this backdrop it has been sought that the impugned notifications issued by the Governor should be declared arbitrary and illegal.

Recently, the Tamil Nadu Government has also moved the Supreme Court over the inaction, omission, delay and failure to comply with the constitutional mandate by the Governor of Tamil Nadu to give his assent to the Bills passed and forwarded by the Tamil Nadu State Legislature to him.

In that plea, the Court has been told that the non-consideration of files, Government orders and policies forwarded by the State Government for his signature is unconstitutional, illegal, arbitrary, unreasonable besides malafide exercise of power.

Filed through AOR Sabarish Subramanian, the petition further submits that the State Governor has positioned himself as a political rival to the legitimately elected Government by hindering and obstructing the Legislative Assembly's ability to carry out its legislative duties by unjustly and excessively delaying the consideration of bills that the Assembly has passed.

Accordingly, the government has sought a writ in the nature of Mandamus to the Governor to dispose of all the Bills, files, Government orders forwarded by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and Government which are pending with his office within a specified timeframe.

Case Title: THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU vs. THE Chancellor, Bharathiar University and Ors.