Following Supreme Court order, 10 Tamil Nadu University bills become law without President or governor’s signature | Chennai News
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CHENNAI: Removing all the hurdles in the appointment of vice-chancellors to the state universities, the Tamil Nadu govt on Friday notified the 10 bills approved by the Supreme Court.
Considering the long period for which these bills were kept pending and after declaring the withholding of assent by the Governor, the Supreme Court, invoking its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, declared these ten bills deemed to have assented.
These acts empower the state govt to appoint the vice-chancellors to state universities. They also give the govt powers to remove vice-chancellors on the grounds of wilful omission or refusal to carry out the provisions of the law or abuse the powers vested in them. The nomination of members to the Senate and Syndicate, besides academic councils of universities, will also become the sole prerogative of the state govt henceforth.
“History is made as these are the first Acts of any legislature in India to have taken effect without the signature of the Governor or President but on the strength of the judgement of the Supreme Court,” DMK MP and senior advocate P Wilson said.
“All the hurdles to the appointment of vice-chancellors to state universities are removed. They will be taken to a new level under the chancellorship of the state government,” he further said.
The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on the governor’s duties and powers is expected to end the stalemate over the appointment of vice-chancellors to state universities. As many as ten universities out of 22 state-funded universities are functioning without vice-chancellors.
Among the 10 bills notified, the AIADMK govt’s fisheries university bill, which seeks to name the university after former chief minister Jayalalithaa, was one of them. It was pending for more than four years.
Ten bills notified by the state government
1. Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (Amendment) Act, 2020: The bill sought to change the institute’s name to Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University and give the state govt the powers of inspection and inquiry. A govt nominee would be included in the panel for selecting vice-chancellors.
2. Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Amendment) Act, 2020: It wanted the power of inspection and inquiry to rest not with the chancellor but the state govt.
3. Tamil Nadu University Laws (Amendment) Act, 2022: It sought to empower the govt to appoint the vice-chancellor of state universities (except the University of Madras), instead of the Governor. The bill also wanted the govt to have the power to remove a vice-chancellor.
4. Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University (Amendment) Act, 2022: This also sought to empower the state govt to appoint the institute’s vice-chancellor.
5. Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University (Amendment) Act, 2022: Like all the others, this bill too sought to give the govt the power to appoint or remove a vice-chancellor.
6. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (Amendment) Act, 2022: The bill empowered the govt to appoint the institute’s vice-chancellor.
7. Tamil Nadu Universities Laws (Second Amendment) Act, 2022: It sought to bring amendments to university laws to make the finance secretary a syndicate member for ten state universities (except the University of Madras, Mother Teresa Women’s University, and Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University).
8. Tamil University (Second Amendment) Act, 2022: This too empowers the state to appoint the vice-chancellor.
9. Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (Amendment) Act, 2023: Empowered the state to appoint the vice-chancellor instead of the Governor.
10. Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Amendment) Act, 2023: Empowered the state to appoint the vice-chancellor instead of the Governor.
Considering the long period for which these bills were kept pending and after declaring the withholding of assent by the Governor, the Supreme Court, invoking its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, declared these ten bills deemed to have assented.
These acts empower the state govt to appoint the vice-chancellors to state universities. They also give the govt powers to remove vice-chancellors on the grounds of wilful omission or refusal to carry out the provisions of the law or abuse the powers vested in them. The nomination of members to the Senate and Syndicate, besides academic councils of universities, will also become the sole prerogative of the state govt henceforth.
“History is made as these are the first Acts of any legislature in India to have taken effect without the signature of the Governor or President but on the strength of the judgement of the Supreme Court,” DMK MP and senior advocate P Wilson said.
“All the hurdles to the appointment of vice-chancellors to state universities are removed. They will be taken to a new level under the chancellorship of the state government,” he further said.
The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on the governor’s duties and powers is expected to end the stalemate over the appointment of vice-chancellors to state universities. As many as ten universities out of 22 state-funded universities are functioning without vice-chancellors.
Among the 10 bills notified, the AIADMK govt’s fisheries university bill, which seeks to name the university after former chief minister Jayalalithaa, was one of them. It was pending for more than four years.
Ten bills notified by the state government
1. Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (Amendment) Act, 2020: The bill sought to change the institute’s name to Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University and give the state govt the powers of inspection and inquiry. A govt nominee would be included in the panel for selecting vice-chancellors.
2. Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Amendment) Act, 2020: It wanted the power of inspection and inquiry to rest not with the chancellor but the state govt.
3. Tamil Nadu University Laws (Amendment) Act, 2022: It sought to empower the govt to appoint the vice-chancellor of state universities (except the University of Madras), instead of the Governor. The bill also wanted the govt to have the power to remove a vice-chancellor.
4. Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University (Amendment) Act, 2022: This also sought to empower the state govt to appoint the institute’s vice-chancellor.
5. Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University (Amendment) Act, 2022: Like all the others, this bill too sought to give the govt the power to appoint or remove a vice-chancellor.
6. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (Amendment) Act, 2022: The bill empowered the govt to appoint the institute’s vice-chancellor.
7. Tamil Nadu Universities Laws (Second Amendment) Act, 2022: It sought to bring amendments to university laws to make the finance secretary a syndicate member for ten state universities (except the University of Madras, Mother Teresa Women’s University, and Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University).
8. Tamil University (Second Amendment) Act, 2022: This too empowers the state to appoint the vice-chancellor.
9. Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (Amendment) Act, 2023: Empowered the state to appoint the vice-chancellor instead of the Governor.
10. Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Amendment) Act, 2023: Empowered the state to appoint the vice-chancellor instead of the Governor.
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