View of the Supreme Court of India. File | Photo credit: Sushil Kumar Verma
The Supreme Court on Monday (November 17, 2025) listed on December 2 a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government against the Madras High Court’s interim order staying nine laws that empowered the state, and not the governor, to appoint vice-chancellors of state-run universities.
Before a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant, senior advocates AM Singhvi and P. Wilson for Tamil Nadu urged the court for an early hearing. Mr Wilson said the appointment of vice-chancellors was in limbo because of the ongoing litigation.
Appearing for the University Grants Commission, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought an adjournment. He said the court should wait for the Constitutional Court to issue its opinion on the presidential reference to the governor’s power to give assent to state laws or refer them to the president for consideration before hearing this case.
Mr Wilson said the current case had nothing to do with the link. Mr Mehta said the opinion on the presidential reference would come sometime this week as the Chief Justice of India is retiring at the weekend.
In its petition, the state argued that the Supreme Court had ordered the adjournment on May 21, even though the Supreme Court had said in its April 8 judgment that the bills had been given “deemed approval” by Governor RN Ravi. The state government announced the laws after the April 8 verdict.
These Acts are: The Tamil Nadu University Amendment Act, 2020; Act No. 15 of 2025 – Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Amendment) Act, 2020; Act No. 16 of 2025 – Tamil Nadu Universities (Amendment) Act, 2022; Act No. 17 of 2025 – Tamil Nadu Dr. Act Ambedkar Law University (Amendment) of 2022; Act No. 18 of 2025 – Tamil Nadu Act Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai (Amendment), 2022; Act No. 19 of 2025 – Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (Amendment) Act, 2022; Act No. 20 of 2025 – The Tamil University (Second Amendment) Act, 2022; Act No. 21 of 2025 – Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (Amendment) Act, 2023; and Act No. 22 of 2025 – Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Amendment) Act of 2023.
The state argued that there was a strong presumption of constitutionality against laws enacted by the legislature. “Courts should be slow to grant interim injunctions in matters challenging the constitutionality of provisions and against a strong presumption of constitutionality. The High Court has passed an interim order ordering the suspension of provisions which take away the power to appoint the Vice-Chancellor…Chancellor and confer the same on the Government,” he said.
The State has also raised questions of law of wide ramifications relating to the issue of federalism and State autonomy in the establishment, regulation and administration of State Universities under Entry 32 List II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, along with questions of judicial impropriety and discipline in maintaining a no-trust approach.
Published – 17 Nov 2025 22:46 IST
