Lok Bhavan disapproves of Tamil Nadu government constituting, extending Vice-Chancellor search committees

Lok Bhavan criticises Tamil Nadu's Vice-Chancellor search committees for violating judicial orders and lacking UGC nominee representation.

Disapproving of the Tamil Nadu government’s constitution and extension of search committees for appointment of Vice-Chancellors of State universities, the Lok Bhavan, on Monday (February 2, 2026), contended the action of the State government was contrary to judicial orders.

Referring to pendency of certain proceedings, the Tamil Nadu government orders were issued on December 22 in 2025 extending the tenure of the search committees and granting further time up to March 21 this year to recommend panel of names for appointment to the post of Vice-Chancellor, the Lok Bhavan said in an official release.

Moreover, the search committee which were “unlawfully constituted” by the government for Periyar University and Bharathidasan University have conducted interactions with the shortlisted candidates for selection of the Vice-Chancellor on January 24, 2026 and January 27, 2026 respectively, it said.

The Lok Bhavan further stated it considered that “executive actions taken during the pendency of matters before the courts, particularly when interim orders are in force, attract the doctrine of lis pendens. The action of the State Government in extending the term of the Search Committees when the lis is pending and the functioning of the Search Committees like interaction with the shortlisted candidates transgress into the orders of the courts and goes against the spirit of such orders.”

In these circumstances, the continuation of the selection process by the present Search Committees, in their existing composition, was “not legally sustainable and is contrary to the spirit of the binding judicial pronouncements,” the Lok Bhavan said. “Any further proceedings pursuant to such a process are liable to be rendered invalid, apart from leading to avoidable legal and administrative complications for the State Government and the Universities concerned.”

The Governor-Chancellor has requested 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 in abeyance forthwith, until the matter is decided by the Supreme Court, the Lok Bhavan said. The Governor-Chancellor “reiterates his commitment to upholding constitutional propriety, the rule of law, the autonomy and high academic standards of State Universities.”