Govt introduces bill to take away guv's powers in TN sports university

THE Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday introduced a bill in the Assembly to amend the Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University Act, transferring key powers, including appointment of vice-chancellors, from the governor to the state government.

- SUBASHINI VIJAYAKUMAR @ Chennai

The bill also proposes to restructure the Vice-Chancellor (V-C) search committee by removing the chancellor's nominee from the panel. As per the bill, the V-C search committee will have two government nominees, a retired HC judge and a retired or serving government officer not below the rank of principal secretary, and one nominee from the university syndicate.

The bill also has provisions regarding removal of V-C from the post and takes away the governor's power to assent to or withhold assent to the decisions of the university syndicate. Once the bill becomes an Act, these powers will be exercised by the state government.

Notably, the latter provisions, which take away the power of the governor, have not been included in previous amendment bills for other state universities introduced by the state government.