Bill allows amendments to remove Vice Chancellors in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: A Bill to amend the Tamil Nadu Universities Laws further and include provisions for the removal of the Vice Chancellors, application of the TN Civil Services rules and TN Government Servants’ Conduct rules, was introduced in the Assembly on Friday.  

The bill, Tamil Nadu Universities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2014, introduced by higher education minister P. Palaniappan, stated that 12 university acts including the Chennai University Act, 1923, Madurai Kamaraj University Act, 1965, Anna University Act, 1978, Mother Teresa Women’s University Act, 1984, MS University Act, 1990, and the Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University Act, 2008, did not contain provision for the removal of vice chancellors. 

Nor do they contain provisions for application of the Tamil Nadu Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) rules, 1955, the Tamil Nadu Government Servants’ Conduct Rules, 1973 and such other rules to the officers, teachers and employees of the university. 

Hence, the Government has decided to amend the said Tamil Nadu Acts suitable to make specific provision for the above decision, he added.

Former Anna University vice-chancellor and ex-UPSC member Prof. E.Balagurusamy welcomed the state government’s move and pointed out that earlier state university acts had no provisions to remove a vice-chancellor but now this amendment brings in specific provisions to remove the vice-chancellor.

“This will make vice-chancellors accountable and responsible, but only concern is that political parties who come to power should not misuse it to remove vice-chancellors appointed in the previous regime,” he said.