14 Tamil Nadu universities without V-Cs, Madras HC seeks report

The Madras High Court has sought a report from the Tamil Nadu government after being informed that nearly 14 universities in the State are functioning without Vice-Chancellors, with many of them being administered by Registrars In-charge and key decisions being handled by Convenor Committees.

Justice B Pugalendhi directed the Principal Secretary of the Higher Education Department to submit a report explaining the situation. The Court also asked the Additional Advocate General to obtain instructions from the government on why the Vice-Chancellor posts have remained vacant and what steps are being taken to fill them.

Issue surfaces during MKU case

The issue arose while the Court was hearing a petition concerning S Muthaiah, the Registrar In-charge of Madurai Kamaraj University. The petitioner had sought a writ of quo warranto questioning the authority under which Muthaiah continued in the position, alleging that he did not possess the necessary qualifications.

The university opposed the plea and told the Court that Muthaiah was only functioning temporarily as Registrar In-charge. Senior counsel appearing for the institution maintained that he possessed the required qualifications and had been appointed by a competent authority.

The Court was also informed that steps to appoint a regular Registrar were already underway. A notification for filling the post had been issued on June 2 and the selection process was in progress. In view of these developments, the Court was not inclined to entertain the petition seeking Muthaiah’s removal.

During the hearing, however, lawyers on both sides brought the wider situation in Tamil Nadu’s universities to the Court’s attention. They submitted that around 14 universities were currently functioning without regular Vice-Chancellors.

Court seeks explanation

The submission prompted the Court to examine the larger issue despite declining to interfere in the dispute over the Registrar In-charge. The absence of Vice-Chancellors has resulted in several universities being managed by Registrars In-charge, while important administrative decisions are being taken through Convenor Committees.

Taking note of the situation, Justice Pugalendhi sought an explanation from the State government on the reasons behind the large number of vacancies. The government will also have to inform the Court about the measures being taken to complete the appointments.

Vice-Chancellors occupy the highest executive position in universities and play a central role in academic administration, appointments, institutional policy and other major decisions. Prolonged vacancies can therefore affect the regular functioning and decision-making processes of higher education institutions.

The High Court has now asked the Higher Education Department to place the relevant details before it. The matter will be taken up again after three weeks, when the State is expected to explain why so many universities continue to function without regular Vice-Chancellors and provide an update on efforts to fill the vacancies.