Verdict deepens leadership crisis in state universities

The constitutional ruling by the Supreme Court has intensified the ongoing leadership vacuum across state universities as the impasse between the state gover-nment and Governor R. N. Ravi over vice-chancellor appointments enters uncharted territory.

- HD Bureau

The Court clarified that a governor's non-action on legislation cannot be construed as assent, removing a fallback route the government previously relied upon.

According to the verdict, the governor retains three constitutionally permissible options upon receipt of a bill passed by the state legislature: to grant assent, to withhold assent and return it for reconsideration, or to reserve the bill for the President’s consideration.

The court reiterated that governors do not possess an absolute or “pocket” veto. Article 200 of the Constitution was cited as explicitly mandating that, after recesident without due process. The judgment enabled the Tamil Nadu government to notify ten bills without the governor’s signature, marking a first in Indian consernance. A former vice-chancellor observed that the cost in terms of academic momentum and student outcomes may emerge only years hence.