HC stays law barring TN guv from appointing VCs

AN APRIL 8, THE SC ORDER PULLED UP TN GOVERNOR FOR DELAYING ASSENT TO 12 BILLS PASSED BY TN ASSEMBLY, MOST OF WHICH WERE CONCERNING VC APPOINTMENTS

- Divya Chandrababu and Ayesha Arvind

CHENNAI/BENGALURU: The Madras High Court on Wednesday stayed a series of amendments passed by the Tamil Nadu government last month that sought to transfer the power to appoint Vice-Chancellors (VCs) of state-run universities from the Governor to the State government.

A vacation bench of justices G.R. Swaminathan and V. Lakshminarayan passed the order amidst high courtroom drama and vehement opposition from the State government.

As the Court began dictating its order granting the stay, the judges' microphone was muted, leaving Senior Counsel P. Wilson, who was appearing for the State via videoconferencing, unable to hear the pronouncement. Wilson asked the court staff to unmute the mic and also urged the bench to clarify whether a stay had indeed been granted and whether any reasons were being recorded. The judges, however, brushed aside his concerns, stating there was no need to worry as the order would be uploaded soon. As of Wednesday evening, the order had not been uploaded.

The Court granted such interim stay while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by K. Venkatachalapathy, a lawyer, challenging the constitutional validity of the recent amendments.