Tamil Nadu Vice Chancellors caught in crossfire between Governor Ravi and Chief Minister Stalin

The Governor-CM stand-off is part of the larger conflict between the Central government’s hegemony and the struggle for States’ rights

 By Raji Krishna   

Stung by the Supreme Court’s ruling against him on his powers vis-à-vis Tamil Nadu’s universities, State Governor R.N.Ravi has called a meeting of Vice Chancellors at Ooty on April 25-26. And to buttress his political strength, he has invited Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar to inaugurate the conference.  

To be one step ahead, Chief Minister Stalin held a Vice Chancellors’ conference in Chennai on April 17.

This has put the Vice Chancellors on the horns of a dilemma. Should they attend or boycott the meeting called by the Governor?

As per the Supreme Court’s ruling, the Chief Minister is the appointing authority in the case of Vice Chancellors of universities run by the State. But the Governor’s powers as regards conducting inquiries and vetoing Senates’ decisions remain untouched.

Being part of the on-going clash between the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre over States’ rights, and since the Stalin government’s anti-centralization policy has the broad support of the people of Tamils Nadu, the Vice Chancellors might abide by the wishes of the Chief Minister rather than go by the Governor’s diktat.

The fact that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has virtually no political presence in Tamil Nadu, strengthens Stalin against both Governor Ravi and Vice President Dhankar. Ravi and Dhankar have shown scant regard for the constitutional expectation that they would be politically neutral. Both have been unabashed campaigners for the BJP and RSS. They have thus incurred the displeasure of the Tamils by and large.  

Dhankar recently described the Supreme Court’s ruling about a time table for approving bills passed by the elected legislature as a “nuclear missile”. On April 12, Ravi forced a college audience in Madurai to shout the Hindutva slogan “Jai Shri Ram” not once, but thrice.

Earlier, Ravi had refused to read portions of his formal address to the State Assembly which spoke of Tamil Nadu’s “Dravidian model of development”. To Ravi, the term “Dravidian model” smacked of parochialism and separatism. Earlier Ravi had challenged the use of the term “Tamil Nadu” for the State, on the grounds that it was “separatist” in connotation.

He interpreted the term “Nadu” as connoting a “country”. He urged the use of the term “Tamil Aham” as it connoted “home”, “Home of the Tamils.”

But the term “Tamil Nadu” has great historical significance for the Tamils because the term was the basis of their campaign for a separate State during the States Re-Organization Movement in the mid-1950s. Even during the freedom struggle, the Congress had formed a separate “Tamil Nadu” Congress Committee (TNCC) for the region now constituting Tamil Nadu.  So the term has a long history.

State Autonomy Committee

Continuing his struggle for States’ rights, on April 15, Stalin announced in the State Assembly the formation of a three-member high-level committee to review the provisions of the Constitution, laws and policies with respect to Centre-State relations, and recommend appropriate steps to strengthen the States’ autonomy and federalism.

Stalin said the committee will be headed by former Supreme Court Justice Kurian Joseph. The other members are retired IAS officer and former Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Maritime University K. Ashok Vardhan Shetty and the former vice-chairman, State Planning Commission M. Naganathan.

The committee has been asked to submit its report in early 2026. The committee is not Tamil Nadu specific but will go into the entire gamut of issues relating to Centre-State relations. Only one of the members of the committee is a Tamil.

Role of Governor

The role of the Governor and the mode of the Governor’s appointment will be examined by the committee. Tamil Nadu has a history of opposing the institution of Governor with executive powers. The founder of the ruling Dravida Munntra Kazhagam (DMK) C.N.Annadurai was opposed to the post on the grounds that such a post interfered with the powers of an elected legislature.  

DMK leader T.K.S.Elangovan said; “”The Governors’ post is the only post in a democracy that doesn’t require public support. The blessings of the Prime Minister are enough. The courts must take note of this. We will challenge Ravi’s actions legally.”

The Supreme Court’s recent ruling had stripped the Governor of the power to appoint Vice-Chancellors in most of State-run universities. In a landmark judgment, the court invoked its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to grant ‘deemed assent’ to 10 amendment bills passed by the DMK government as Governor Ravi had sat on them indefinitely, even saying “No response means No assent”.

Stalin’s Blueprint for TN Universities

To indicate that he means business, Stalin gave an elaborate blueprint to the 21 Vice Chancellors and Registrars when he met them on April 17.

Stalin stated that Tamil Nadu is home to over 500 engineering colleges and 31 premier institutions of higher learning. He highlighted that 22 institutions from the State had secured positions among the top 100 in the National Institutional Ranking Framework.

“Tamil Nadu is emerging as a beacon of educational progress in India. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education in the State stands at 51.3 per cent, nearly double the national average.

Despite not adopting the National Education Policy (NEP), the State has already surpassed the GER target of 50 per cent set for 2030, through its Dravidian Model,” he added.

Urging the State’s universities to aim higher, the Chief Minister said, “We are gathered here to dream bigger, innovate boldly, and prepare our students for global changes.” He called for the inclusion of future-ready courses such as Data Science, Renewable Energy, and Advanced Manufacturing in academic programmes.

“Foundational knowledge must be matched with modern, market-relevant skills to turn graduates into solution providers,” he said, while stressing interdisciplinary learning and active industry collaboration as key pillars of reform.

With rapid global advances in science and technology, he said universities must evolve by adopting world-class education models and innovative practices. Emphasising the impact of emerging fields, Stalin said: “The world is changing rapidly due to AI, green energy, and Industry 4.0. Our universities must prepare students accordingly.”

He added that future meetings will involve leading national education experts and advisors and requested that the gathered heads also give their suggestions.

Stalin pointed to the success of his flagship “Naan Mudhalvan” scheme, which has impacted over 27 lakh students. Of these, 1.19 lakh have secured employment through training and career support. The programme, designed to align with industry needs, equips students to compete in the global job market.

He invited suggestions to enhance the initiative and urged universities to strengthen placements, forge partnerships with major firms, and expand training efforts. “Every student must graduate with confidence and employability, not just a certificate,” Stalin said.

Social Justice

Underscoring the role of social justice, Stalin said every policy in Tamil Nadu is rooted in that principle. Schemes such as ‘Tamil Pudhalvan’ and ‘Pudhumai Penn’ have led to a 30 per cent rise in higher education enrolment among government school students over the past three years. These initiatives aim to ensure that financial hardship does not limit a student’s future.

He urged institutions to create inclusive campuses that support differently-abled students, first-generation learners, and those from marginalised communities.

“Just as the Kamaraj era was the golden age of school education, and the Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) era was the golden age of collegiate education, the Dravidian Model era must be remembered as the golden age of higher and research education,” he said in conclusion.

It remains to be seen if Governor R.N. Ravi will come up with a better blueprint. But first, it is to be seen as to how many Vice Chancellors or Registrars will attend Ravi’s conclave in Ooty on April 25 and 26.

END