"University of Madras is without a Vice Chancellor for the last 5 months”: P Chidambaram

Tamil Nadu universities are caught up in the conflict between the Tamil Nadu governor and the government. The clash has resulted in the running of one of the oldest universities in the country, the University of Madras, headless for months. Former finance minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram lashed out for delaying the appointment of vice chancellor in the universities. He termed it as a sad commentary on the stage of higher education.

Taking on to X, he wrote, that the University of Madras, one among the three universities in India that was established in 1857, is without a Vice Chancellor for the last 5 months.

Among the first three Universities of India established in 1857, the University of Madras is without a Vice Chancellor for the last 5 months

The reason given is the Governor-government stand off

Why is the Governor of Tamil Nadu in the centre of many controversies in the State?…

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 27, 2024

“The reason given is the Governor-government stand off,” the Congress leader added.

He then asked, “Why is the Governor of Tamil Nadu in the centre of many controversies in the State?” “Some say that the Governor is the cause of many controversies It is a sad commentary on the state of higher education in the country,” he concluded.

The Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi and the DMK government have been at loggerheads from the time the latter took charge on 18 September 2021.

Due to the delay in the appointment of the vice-chancellors, students passing out this year are likely to have a delay in receiving the degree certificates, reports Times of India.

Appointment of vice-chancellors in all state universities has been stymied over the governor’s insistence on a representative of the UGC in the search panels and the state government’s objection to this. At present, a four-member convener committee headed by higher education secretary Karthik runs the university.

The Tamil Nadu government has challenged the governor’s constitution of search committees with UGC nominees for the University of Madras, Bharathiar University, and Tamil Nadu Teacher Education University.  A PIL has also been pending before the Madras high court against the state government’s notification of a three-member V-C panel without a UGC nominee on September 13