Around a dozen State universities in Tamil Nadu currently do not have Vice-Chancellors, as Tamil Nadu remains embroiled in a legal tussle over shifting the authority to appoint them, from the Governor (in his capacity as Chancellor) to the State government. Interestingly, it is not the first time Tamil Nadu has witnessed a disagreement between the government and the Governor on this issue. A conflict took place four decades ago over the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University.
In 1985, during M.G. Ramachandran’s tenure as Chief Minister, tensions simmered over Governor S.L. Khurana’s use of his authority to appoint Vice-Chancellors. That March, Education Minister C. Aranganayagam remarked that difficulties in appointing Vice-Chancellors “seemed peculiar to States where non-Congress (I) governments were in office.” His comment came just months after the AIADMK-Congress (I) alliance swept to power in Tamil Nadu in the aftermath of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination.
The Tamil Nadu Cabinet, after the swearing-in ceremony at the Raj Bhavan in Madras on February 15, 1985. Seated (from left) are: Dr. H.V. Hande, K. Kalimuthu, R.M. Veerappan, S. Ramachandran, Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran, Governor S.L. Khurana, V. R. Nedunchezhian, K.A. Krishnaswamy, C. Aranganayagam and C. Ponnaiyan | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
