Roll back notification for V-C panel without UGC nominee

Minister urges guv to nurture communal harmony instead of politicising death anniversary

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Chennai

GOVERNOR RN Ravi on Thursday "directed" the state government to recall the gazette notification issued for the constitution of the search committee to identify suitable candidates for the post of vice chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) as the notified committee does not have a nominee of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

He asked the government to instead notify the search committee "as constituted" by the Governor-Chancellor that included the UGC chairperson's nominee.

A statement issued by Raj Bhavan said the governor, who is also the chancellor of the university, had "constituted" the search committee with the nominees of the chancellor, syndicate and senate of the university and a nominee of the UGC chairperson as per the MKU Act of 1965 and as per prevailing regulations of the UGC.

It said while the governor "directed" the government to notify the constitution of this four-member search committee through a letter dated December 16, 2024, the notification issued by the government on January 9, 2025 "purposefully excluded the UGC chairman's nominee", in violation of the judgments of the Supreme Court.

Any appointment of a V-C made on the recommendation of a search committee, constituted contrary to UGC regulations shall be "void ab initio"

Raj Bhavan