Madras High Court Issues Notices Over Vacant Vice-Chancellor Posts At 15 Universities
The Madras High Court has issued notices to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Tamil Nadu state government regarding a plea seeking urgent intervention over the failure to appoint Vice-Chancellors to 15 state-run universities.
The division bench, comprising Chief Justice S.A. Dharmadhikari and Justice Arul Murugan, heard the petition and scheduled the next hearing for July 29. The case will be heard alongside other pending matters concerning Vice-Chancellor (V-C) appointments.
The petition, filed by P. Bhaskar, seeks an interim solution to the ongoing vacancy crisis. Senior Advocate N.L. Rajah, representing the petitioner, stated that 15 universities are currently headless, and five more are set to face vacancies soon. Rajah emphasized that the delay has severely affected students, compromised educational standards, and disrupted the financial operations of the institutions.
To resolve the deadlock, the petitioner proposed two options: directing the UGC to formulate a V-C appointment scheme under Section 12 of the UGC Act of 1956, or appointing a high-powered panel led by a retired High Court Chief Justice or a Supreme Court judge to oversee the selection process.
According to Rajah, the plea focuses strictly on securing an interim solution while the court deliberates on the legal validity of the governing Acts. The petition compared the situation to a previous standoff in West Bengal, which prompted the Supreme Court to establish a Search-cum-Selection Committee headed by former Chief Justice of India U.U. Lalit in 2024.
Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister P. Viswanathan announced on Tuesday that the state government has submitted a proposal to the Governor to expand the V-C Search Committees.
The dispute dates back to October 2024, when the then Governor, R.N. Ravi, directed the state government to form a four-member search committee, which included a nominee from the UGC Chairperson, for the Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University. The state government opposed the directive, initiating a series of legal disputes that led to the current stalemate.
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay recently led two review meetings with the Higher Education Department to discuss the issue. The proposal to expand the Search Committees has been referred to the Law Department for clarification.
