MADURAI: Tamil Nadu Governor Mr.R.N.Ravi had today directed the State government to notify Search Committee with UGC nominee for identifying candidate for appointment as Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University in Chennai.
The Search Committee must have 4 nominees and they include nominees of the Chancellor (Governor), Government of Tamil Nadu, Syndicate of the university and University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman’s nominee as per provision of Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University Act and as per the prevailing regulations of UGC 2018, according to a press release received from Raj Bhavan on March 11th 2025.
“The inclusion of UGC Chairman’s nominee in the Search Committee of State universities are held to be mandatory by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. The Governor-Chancellor has directed the Government of Tamil Nadu to notify the constitution of the Search Committee of Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University vide letter dated 24th October 2024 consisting of the above four members inlcuding UGC Chairman’s nominee,” the press release said.
The Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department has issued a G.O. (Ms) No.13 dated 28th January 2025 notifying the Search Committee and it was published in the official gazette, the Raj Bhavan press release said and added that the said notification issued by the Tamil Nadu government had purposefully excluded the UGC Chairman’s nominee in violation of the judgements of Supreme Court of India which said that any appointment as a Vice-Chancellor made on the recommendation of the Search Committee which is constituted contrary to the provisions of the UGC Regulations shall be void ab initio.
“The said notification given by the State government is in difference to the Search Committee constituted by the Chancellor and is contrary to UGC regulations and Supreme Court orders. The Chancellor has called upon the Government of Tamil Nadu to recall its notification and he directed the government to notify the Search Committee for appointment of Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University (Chennai) as constituted by the Chancellor and it should include UGC Chairman’s nominee,” the Raj Bhavan press release said and pointed out what the Supreme Court of India has already held in the case of Prof.(Dr) Sreejith Vs Dr.Rajasree M.S & Others (Civil Appeal numbers 7634-7635 of 2022, SLP (c) Nos 21108-21109 of 2021 that any search committee constituted contrary to the provisions of UGC regulations shall be void ab initio.
