Madras High Court Pauses TN Govt's Authority in Vice-Chancellor Appointments

The Madras High Court has issued a temporary halt on a Tamil Nadu government provision allowing state-appointed vice-chancellors for universities. This move comes as a result of a legal challenge by a BJP-affiliated advocate, questioning the authority vested through prior Supreme Court assent.

The Madras High Court on Wednesday issued an interim stay on a specific provision that authorized the Tamil Nadu government to appoint vice-chancellors to universities. This decision came from a Division Bench consisting of Justices GR Swaminathan and V Lakshmi Narayanan.

The stay comes amid significant opposition from the state government, which had urged against an expedited review of the case. The petitioner, an advocate affiliated with the BJP, questioned the legality of the provision.

This provision had been part of Bills that previously received deemed assent from the Supreme Court in the dispute between the Tamil Nadu government and the governor, highlighting ongoing tensions between state and institutional authority.

(With inputs from agencies.)