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Disapproving of the Tamil Nadu government’s constitution and hold of hunt committees for assignment of Vice-Chancellors of State universities, the Lok Bhavan, connected Monday (February 2, 2026), contended the action of the State authorities was contrary to judicial orders.
Referring to pendency of definite proceedings, the Tamil Nadu authorities orders were issued connected December 22 successful 2025 extending the tenure of the hunt committees and granting further clip up to March 21 this twelvemonth to urge sheet of names for assignment to the station of Vice-Chancellor, the Lok Bhavan said successful an authoritative release.
Moreover, the hunt committee which were “unlawfully constituted” by the authorities for Periyar University and Bharathidasan University person conducted interactions with the shortlisted candidates for enactment of the Vice-Chancellor connected January 24, 2026 and January 27, 2026 respectively, it said.
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The Lok Bhavan further stated it considered that “executive actions taken during the pendency of matters earlier the courts, peculiarly erstwhile interim orders are successful force, pull the doctrine of lis pendens. The enactment of the State Government successful extending the word of the Search Committees erstwhile the lis is pending and the functioning of the Search Committees similar enactment with the shortlisted candidates transgress into the orders of the courts and goes against the tone of specified orders.”
In these circumstances, the continuation of the enactment process by the contiguous Search Committees, successful their existing composition, was “not legally sustainable and is contrary to the tone of the binding judicial pronouncements,” the Lok Bhavan said. “Any further proceedings pursuant to specified a process are liable to beryllium rendered invalid, isolated from starring to avoidable ineligible and administrative complications for the State Government and the Universities concerned.”
The Governor-Chancellor has requested the Government of Tamil Nadu to contented contiguous orders to see the nominee of the Chairman, UGC successful the hunt committee arsenic primitively recommended by the Governor-Chancellor oregon to spot the functioning of specified hunt committees and each ongoing proceedings for the enactment and assignment of Vice-Chancellors successful abeyance forthwith, until the substance is decided by the Supreme Court, the Lok Bhavan said. The Governor-Chancellor “reiterates his committedness to upholding law propriety, the regularisation of law, the autonomy and precocious world standards of State Universities.”
The property merchandise by the Lok Bhavan said it sought to “place connected grounds the factual and ineligible presumption relating to the constitution of Search Committees” for recommending sheet of names for assignment to the station of Vice-Chancellors to definite State Universities, namely Bharathiar University, Bharathidasan University and Periyar University and the hold of word fixed to these hunt committees.
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The UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and different Academic Staff successful Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards successful Higher Education) Regulations, 2018, which person statutory force, mandated that search-cum-selection committees for recommending a sheet of names for assignment to the station of Vice-Chancellors shall see a nominee of the Chairman, University Grants Commission, it pointed out.
“The binding quality of these regulations and their supremacy implicit conflicting State enactments has been conclusively affirmed by the Supreme Court of India successful the lawsuit of Professor (Dr.) Serenity P.S. vs. Dr. Rajasree & Ors, and Consistently followed successful its latest determination connected January 30, 2026 successful the lawsuit of Dr. S. Mohan Vs the Secretary to the Chancellor, Puducherry Technological University, Puducherry. The Hon’ble Court has declared that immoderate assignment of a Vice-Chancellor made connected the proposal of a Search Committee constituted contrary to the UGC Regulations would beryllium void ab initio,” the Lok Bhavan said.
“Under the respective State University Acts, the Governor of Tamil Nadu functions arsenic the Chancellor of State Universities. Historically Vice-Chancellors person been appointed by the Chancellor from panels of 3 names recommended by duly constituted Search Committees, successful conformity with statutory provisions.” The Government made immoderate amendments successful the University Acts vide ‘Tamil Nadu Act No. 16 of 2025’, replacing the look ‘Chancellor’ by the look ‘Government’ and therefore, the appointing authorization of Vice-Chancellors of State Universities henceforth to beryllium the government, it recalled.
The said Act was nether situation and the Madras High Court has granted a stay successful truthful acold arsenic they instrumentality distant the powerfulness of assignment of the Vice-Chancellors from the hands of the Chancellor and vest the aforesaid with the government, the Lok Bhavan pointed out.
A writ petition successful W.P.(C) No.1271 of 2023 has been filed by Tamil Nadu authorities earlier the Supreme Court, challenging the notifications issued by the Governor-Chancellor dated September 6, 2023 relating to the constitution of search-cum-selection committees for 3 State universities. The authorities has further modified the supplication to state that the sub-clause (ii) of Regulation 7.3 of the UGC Regulations, 2018 (which mandates the inclusion of 1 subordinate nominated by the Chairman, University Grants Commission to the search-cum-selection-committee for enactment of Vice-Chancellors of State universities) arsenic ultra-vires of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 and does not hindrance the State University Acts.
The authorities of Tamil Nadu has besides filed a Special Leave Petition (C) No.17220 of 2025 earlier the Supreme Court against the interim bid of the Madras High Court and the aforesaid was pending information earlier the apex court. The Tamil Nadu Government has besides filed a transportation petition (Civil) No. 1511 of 2025 earlier the Supreme Court with a supplication to transportation the W.P. No. 18374 of 2025 presently pending connected the record of Madras High Court, it said.
“The interim orders of the Madras High Court continue to beryllium successful unit and related proceedings are pending earlier the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. It is simply a substance of superior interest that these committees person been constituted and are functioning without a nominee of the Chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC), which is simply a mandatory request nether the prevailing UGC Regulations, 2018 governing the assignment of Vice-Chancellors,” the Lok Bhavan contended.
