Tamil Nadu notifies enactment of 10 bills after SC verdict, strips Governor Ravi of ‘chancellor’ powers
Tamil Nadu has notified in gazette the enactment of 10 laws which the Supreme Court ruled as deemed to be granted assent by the governor recently. With this, Governor R. N. Ravi has been stripped of administrative powers over state-run universities.
The Tamil government published the gazette notification on Friday, soon after the full judgment in the Tamil Nadu government vs governor case was published in the Supreme Court’s website. The notification read, “The Hon’ble Supreme Court in its Order dated 08.04.2025 in W.P.(C) No.1239/2023 has ordered that all the action of the Hon’ble President after date of reserving the above said Bill is non-est in law and shall be deemed to have been assented to by the Hon’ble Governor on the date on which the said Bill was presented to him for assent. Now, therefore, by virtue of the above said orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India dated 08.04.2025, the said L.A. Bill No.48 of 2022 is deemed to have been assented by the Hon’ble Governor on the 18th November 2023,” it read.
In a landmark verdict on April 8, the Supreme Court ruled Governor R.N. Ravi’s action of withholding 10 bills and later referring them to the president as unconstitutional and “illegal”. The apex court also specified timelines for the governor and president to take decision on bills passed by state legislatures. The apex court also declared 10 bills withheld by governor from the day it was re-presented for his assent.
Here is the list of the 10 pending bills deemed to be approved as per SC verdict:
1. Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Amendment) Bill - Passed in January 2020 during the AIADMK regime, this bill aimed to confer the state government with powers of inspection and inquiry instead of the Chancellor (Governor) and included a government nominee in the vice-chancellor selection panel.
2. Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (Amendment) Bill - Also passed in January 2020 under the AIADMK regime, this sought to rename the institution as Tamil Nadu Dr J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University and shift administrative oversight powers to the state government.
3. Madras University (Amendment) Bill - Passed in April 2022 by the DMK government, this bill aimed to empower the state government to appoint the vice-chancellor, removing the Governor from the role of Chancellor, aligning with practices in states like Gujarat, Telangana, and Karnataka.
4. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (Amendment) Bill - Passed in 2022, this bill sought to amend the university’s statutes to allow the state government to appoint the vice-chancellor, reducing the Governor’s authority.
5. Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University (Amendment) Bill - Passed in 2022, this aimed to shift the power of appointing the vice-chancellor from the Governor to the state government.
6. Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University (Amendment) Bill - Passed in 2022, this bill proposed similar changes to enable the state government to appoint the vice-chancellor instead of the Governor.
7. Tamil University (Amendment) Bill - Passed in 2022, this sought to amend the governance structure to allow the state government to appoint the vice-chancellor.
8. Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Further Amendment) Bill - Passed in 2023 by the DMK government, this was an additional amendment to further consolidate state control over the university’s administration.
9. Siddha Medical University Bill - Passed in 2023, this bill aimed to establish a distinct university for Siddha Medicine near Chennai, with the state government seeking control over its governance structure.
10. Anna University (Amendment) Bill - This bill sought to amend the university’s statutes to shift the vice-chancellor's appointment authority to the state government.
India