Objecting to the Tamil Nadu government’s constitution and expansion of search committees for the appointment of vice-chancellors of state universities, the Lok Bhavan on Monday (February 2, 2026) alleged that the state government’s action was against court orders.
Referring to pending certain proceedings, the Tamil Nadu government orders were issued on December 22, 2025, extending the tenure of the search committees and giving additional time till March 21 this year to recommend a panel of names for appointment to the post of Vice-Chancellor, Lok Bhavan said in an official statement.
In addition, the search committee that was “illegally constituted” by the government for Periyar University and Bharathidasan University made contacts on 24 January 2026 and 27 January 2026 to shortlist candidates for the selection of the Vice-Chancellor.
Tamil Nadu Focus: Why 12 Tamil Nadu Universities Have No Vice-Chancellors? | June 2025 | Video credit: Thamodharan B.
The Lok Bhavan further stated that it was of the view that “executive actions taken during the pendency of cases before the courts, especially when interim orders are in force, attract the doctrine of lis pendens. The action of the state government in extending the tenure of the search committees pending the pressing and functioning of the search committees, such as interaction with the shortlisted candidates, exceeds such orders of the courts.”
In these circumstances, the continuation of the selection process by the current search committees in their existing composition was “not tenable in law and is against the spirit of binding judicial pronouncements,” the Lok Bhavan said. “Any further proceedings in such a process may be declared void, except as it will result in legal and administrative complications which the State Government and the universities concerned can avoid.”
The Governor-Chancellor asked the Government of Tamil Nadu to issue immediate orders to include the nominee of the Chairman, UGC in the search committee as originally recommended by the Governor-Chancellor or to place the functioning of such search committees and all ongoing proceedings for the selection and appointment of Vice-Chancellors on hold until the matter is decided by the Supreme Court. The Governor-Chancellor “reiterates his commitment to uphold the constitutional adequacy, rule of law, autonomy and high academic standards of state universities”.
A Lok Bhavan press release said it sought to “record a factual and legal position regarding the constitution of search committees” for the nomination panel’s recommendation for appointment to the post of vice-chancellors in some state universities, namely Bharathiar University, Bharathidasan University and Periyar University and the extension of tenure granted to these search committees.
Focus Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu universities caught in clash between governor and government | October 2023 | Video Credit: S. Shiva Raj
The UGC (Minimum Qualifications for the Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2018, which have statutory force, mandate that the search committee for the nomination committee’s recommendation for the appointment of a nominated candidate for appointment to the post of University Vice-Chancellor shall include grant committees.
“The binding nature of these regulations and their supremacy over conflicting state regulations has been conclusively upheld by the Supreme Court of India in the case of Professor (Dr.) Serenity PS vs. Dr. Rajasree & Ors and has been consistently followed in its latest decision dated 30 January 2026 in the case of Dr. The Hon’ble Court has declared that any appointment of a Vice-Chancellor made on the recommendation of a search committee which is contrary to the UGC regulations shall from the outset invalid,” Lok Bhavan said.
“According to the relevant State University Acts, the Governor of Tamil Nadu acts as the Chancellor of the State Universities. Historically, Vice-Chancellors have been appointed by the Chancellor from panels of three names recommended by duly constituted search committees in accordance with statutory provisions.” The Government has made some amendments in the University Acts, viz., “Tamil Nadu Act No. 16 of 2025”, replacing the word “Chancellor” with “Government”, thereby recalling that the authority to appoint Vice-Chancellors of State Universities will continue to be the Government.
The said Act has been challenged and the Madras High Court has granted a stay if it takes away the power to appoint the Vice-Chancellor from the hands of the Chancellor and vests the same in the Government, the Lok Bhavan pointed out.
The Government of Tamil Nadu has filed a Writ Petition in the Supreme Court in WP(C) No. 1271 of 2023 challenging the notifications issued by the Governor-Chancellor dated September 6, 2023 regarding the establishment of selection boards for three state universities. The Government further amended the prayer to declare that sub-section (ii) of Regulation 7.3 of the UGC Rules, 2018 (which mandates inclusion of one member nominated by the Chairman, Grants Commission in the search committee for selection of Vice-Chancellors of State Universities) as ultra-virts of the Act19 of the University and University Acts does not bind the State Grants Act1 and the University.6
The Government of Tamil Nadu also filed a Special Leave Petition (C) No. 17220 of 2025 in the Supreme Court against the interim order of the Madras High Court and the same was pending before the Supreme Court. The Government of Tamil Nadu has also filed Transfer Petition (Civil) No. 1511 of 2025 in the Supreme Court with prayer for transfer of WP No. 18374 of 2025, which is currently pending before the Madras High Court, it said.
“The interim orders of the Madras High Court remain in force and the related proceedings are pending before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. It is a matter of serious concern that these committees have been constituted and are functioning without the nomination of the Chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC), which is a mandatory requirement under the extant UGC Regulations, 2018 governing the appointment of B. Lokhall V.”
Published – 02 Feb 2026 17:27 IST
