Tamil Nadu: Chief Minister Should Be Chancellor Of State Universities So That People's Wishes Can Be Fulfilled: CM MK Stalin

Addressing the convocation of the Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University, Chief Minister MK Stalin said that chief ministers, who are elected by the people, should be the Chancellors of state universities so that the people's wishes could be fulfilled.

His statement comes after the state Assembly, during a special session on 18 November, passed a number of Bills returned by Governor RN Ravi, which sought to make the chief minister as the Chancellor instead of the Governor.

According to a report by The Hindu, he commended former chief minister J Jayalalithaa for making the chief minister as the Chancellor of the above- mentioned university.

He said, "Only after realising that this objective would be destroyed if it [the Chancellor post] is vested with others, the then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had in 2013 decided that the Chancellor of this university would be the Chief Minister. She could be whole-heartedly lauded for this. I commend [her] after coming to think of the prevailing circumstances.”

He added that honorary doctorates could be awarded by the university to playback singer P Susheela and musicologist BM Sundaram only because the chief minister is the Chancellor.

Further, he said that he expected good news from the Supreme Court, which is hearing cases related to this and that the subject of 'Education' must be transferred to the State List.

Recently, Higher Education minister K Ponmudy had boycotted the convocation of the Madurai Kamaraj University on 2 November stating that Governor RN Ravi had not given his assent to conferring an honorary doctorate to communist leader and freedom fighter, N Sankaraiah, in spite of reminders.

Sankaraiah passed away on 15 November in Chennai.

The demand for bringing Education to the State List from the Concurrent List had been made earlier by Chief Minister Stalin during his Independence Day speech this year.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu Government Approaches Supreme Court Against Governor RN Ravi Over Appointment Of Vice Chancellors