I don’t want a confrontation with the governor, but he cannot compromise state rights, says Tamil Nadu’s higher education minister

Call for cooperation: If the governor works according to his whim, it will affect governance, says Higher Education Minister P Viswanathan. | Photo credit: N. Sai Charan

Higher Education Minister P. Viswanathan said on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) that neither he nor the state government sought any confrontation with the governor. However, the government would not compromise the autonomy of the state in the appointment of vice-chancellors of state universities.

“I can only think of the lines of (lyricist) Kannadasana: Vandi oda chakkarangal irandu mattum vendum; antha irandil onru siriyathendraal entha vandi odum? (A vehicle needs two wheels of equal size; if one is smaller, how can it move?). The governor and chief minister should work in harmony with our universities.

‘CM doesn’t want to spit’

Mr Viswanathan said the previous government may have taken a confrontational approach towards the Governor. “However, our prime minister does not want any confrontation. As a minister, I also do not want any confrontation. The matter (appointment of vice-chancellors) is being discussed in the Supreme Court and we hope that the result will be favorable,” he said, expressing his belief that the new governor will protect the rights of the state.

Asserting that the appointment of vice-chancellors was directly linked to the autonomy of the state, he said that no state government would surrender its rights. “We cannot allow the governor to interfere or usurp the powers of the state,” he said.

Pointing out that the row over the appointment of vice-chancellors was based on the UGC’s mandate to include its nominee in the selection committee, apart from the nominees of the Syndicate, the State Government and the Governor, Mr. Viswanathan said the Center was trying to bring higher education under its control through the UGC nominee.

He accused former governor RN Ravi of issuing a notification to form vice-chancellor search committees with a UGC nominee despite the Supreme Court ruling on the matter. “We respect the governor. Be it Dravidian parties or Congress, they all respected the office as it is a constitutional function. The state government challenged the notification issued by the governor. A special session of the assembly was called to protect the state’s rights, but he also challenged it,” the minister said.

Mr. Viswanathan said that any confrontation with the Governor was unnecessary and could be avoided as cordial relations between the Chief Minister and the Governor were essential for the smooth functioning of the State Government. “If the governor decides to operate at his whim, it will affect governance. Controversy over the appointment of vice chancellors is unnecessary. Twelve out of thirteen state universities are operating without vice chancellors. Files are backlogged and decisions remain suspended. This problem has been going on since 2021. How long can we wait? We deserve it. We deserve it.

“Exercise Patience”

He claimed that the problem was largely confined to non-BJP-ruled states. “As Minister for Higher Education, I want a harmonious relationship between the governor and vice-chancellors for the sake of our universities,” he said. “The governor should realize that these universities are not his personal property. They belong to eight million people in the state and the elected government enjoys the confidence of the people. The governor should be patient and listen to the government. It will not help if he acts against the spirit of the constitution,” he added.

When asked about the issue of temporary lecturers, he said that it will be brought to the attention of the Chief Minister and efforts will be made to find a solution. Mr Viswanathan said he was working closely with Higher Education Minister Arun Roy to improve the quality of higher education and the overall functioning of universities.

Published – 09 Jun 2026 22:06 IST