The appointment of vice chancellors in Tamil Nadu is once again in jeopardy due to the recent ruling by the Supreme Court. At a time when 14 colleges in the state are operating without a VC some for as long as 18 months to three years the Constitution Bench's decision regarding the Governor's authority has thrown the process into disarray.
A further level of complexity was introduced when the court ruled that a governor's silence on bills cannot be regarded as "deemed assent." Some of the most intense conflicts between a non NDA state government and the governor have occurred in Tamil Nadu.
The Assembly approved a bill on April 22 that gave the state administration the authority to name VCs instead of the governor.
The law is still waiting with the governor along with a number of other bills. Governor R. N. Ravi announced the formation of search committees for VC appointments in September 2023, but he withdrew them in January 2024 as the matter reached the Supreme Court.
In April of this year, a two judge Supreme Court panel decided that laws that had been with the governor for longer than three months might be judged to have gained "deemed assent."
The state government felt confident enough to move forward with appointments as a result. However, the bill's future is still unknown after the most recent Constitution Bench ruling reversed that stance, and Tamil Nadu's universities seem to be in for a protracted wait for vice chancellors.
