TN guv blames Stalin govt for poor attendance at VCs event

Tamil Nadu governor Ravindra Narayana Ravi on Friday dug in his heels in his on-going fight with the state government at a conference of vice-chancellors in Ooty inaugurated by vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar, and blamed the state government for the poor attendance at the event.

The two-day conference for VCs of state, central and private universities of Tamil Nadu began on Friday and was among the first major events presided over by Ravi after he was censured severely by the Supreme Court, which prescribed a timeline for governors and the President, to deal with state bills. Following the judgment, and in keeping with its provisions, the state government promptly notified 10 bills that had been held up by Ravi, including one that empowers the state to appoint VCs.

The governor’s office invited 56 heads of higher education institutions that included five central universities, 20 state universities, four central institutions, and 27 private universities. VCs of state universities boycotted the event, although some sent representatives. Thirty-two VCs, deans and registrars from central and private universities attended the event, the Raj Bhavan said in a statement. 

Ravi alleged that the state’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government prevented VCs from attending the event. One VC was detained at a police station and another received a “knock at his door at night” from the police, he alleged.

“The way Hon’ble CM Thiru. Stalin used police to deter the vice-chancellors of state universities from participating in the prescheduled conference today is reminiscent of the Emergency days,” the governor said.

The DMK responded promptly with P Wilson, a Rajya Sabha MP, terming the conference “illegal”.

“ How can a governor make such baseless allegations against his own government?” he asked on X.

“The vice-chancellors have not attended this illegal conference called by you because they understand that your intention is to poison our universities with a particular ideology and politicise them,” he added.

Vice-President Dhankhar said that the governor is organising this conference because it is his constitutional ordainment. “His oath, as that of the Hon’ble President, is very significant,” Dhankhar said. “The oath he has taken as governor is to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and the law. By his oath, he is further enjoined to devote to the service and well-being of people of Tamil Nadu. By organising such events, which are extremely relevant to the field of education, governor Ravi is vindicating his oath. I must commend him for this very thoughtful initiative taken by him in 2022 to have a conference of vice-chancellors. The present one is one in such a series.”

To be sure. Dhankhar recently criticised the Supreme Court over its landmark verdict that set timelines for governors and the President of India to act on state bills. The judgement came in response to a petition by the Tamil Nadu government.

Dhankhar also pitched for the National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP) to be adopted amid Tamil Nadu opposing it and viewing the three language formula it prescribes as Hindi imposition. “The most significant aspect of the National Education Policy is that it allows students to learn in their mother tongue,” the vice-president said. “It has got us out of the colonial regime. Even medicine and engineering in local languages, which could not be entertained at one point of time, even in dreams, are getting in shape on the ground.”

Of the 10 bills notified by Tamil Nadu as laws, seven transfer power from the governor to the state government for appointing and dismissing VCs at state-run universities. While the governor will remain the chancellor of these institutions, the substantive authority will now rest with the state government, effectively with chief minister M K Stalin. Following this, Stalin convened a meeting with VCs and officials of the higher education department on April 16.

Higher education minister Govi Chezhian said that the VCs boycotted the conference due to recent developments following the Supreme Court verdict where certain powers of managing universities were transferred from the governor to the government.

“The VCs are aware of the SC verdict and law. Despite knowing everything, the Governor is hell-bent on fomenting trouble. Since the VCs felt it would amount to going against the law to participate in the meeting convened by the governor, they chose to boycott,” Chezhiyan said.