Chennai:

Many state-run universities in Tamil Nadu are starved of funds and are in a dire financial crisis and unable to pay salaries to teachers, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi said on Saturday.

Their autonomy has been “severely eroded to such an extent that it was not the university syndicates but the state Secretariat that runs the varsities,” the Governor alleged.

“Higher Education scenario in Tamil Nadu is no better. About 25 lakh students are enrolled in our 20 state universities. Most of the universities are starved of funds and are in dire financial crisis not even able to pay salaries to teachers,” Ravi said in his address on the eve of Republic Day.

The universities, he claimed, have not received their due shares of fund from the state government for the last many years. And as a result, many were functioning with less than 50 per cent of teachers’ strength.

“Universities have no money to recruit teachers. In Madras University, which used to be our nation’s pride, 66 per cent of teachers’ posts are vacant. Due to continuous non-receipt of government funds, some universities have begun filing their Income Tax returns declaring themselves non-state Universities,” Ravi who is the Chancellor of universities said.

As many as 10 universities were without Registrars and Controllers of Examination for several years and the posts were being run on an ad-hoc basis. “Autonomy of universities have been severely eroded to such an extent that it is not the university syndicates but the state Secretariat runs them,” he alleged.

With regard to framing the curriculum and syllabus which were statutorily under the domain of the Academic Council of the University, universities were compelled to follow a common sub-standard syllabus prepared by the state government Council for Higher Education. Upright and honest university officials were framed in false and fabricated cases and subjected to humiliating police harassment, he alleged.

“Absence of Vice-Chancellors practically brings universities under the direct control of the government because the Secretary, Higher Education, acts as the de-facto Vice-Chancellor. Not allowing appointments of Vice-Chancellors on untenable concocted flimsy grounds is a devious way to erode the autonomy of the university through back door,” a Raj Bhavan release quoting the Governor said.

The net result was a steep decline in the quality of education. Due to such a decline more and more graduates were jobless as a majority were un-employable. General standards of research was very low. Of the over six thousand PhDs that our universities produce every year not even five per cent could qualify for NET/JRF – minimum eligibility standard for research. “Future of millions of students are in jeopardy,” Ravi alleged.

In terms of learning outcome of students, especially in schools, Tamil Nadu was among the bottom few states. Quoting the Annual Status of Education Reports for the last few years he said the status of learning in government schools revealed a ‘very disturbing truth.’ “About 75 per cent of our high school students in government schools cannot read even second standard textbooks nor can they recognise all the two-digit numbers between 11 and 99,” he said.

Since government schools catered largely to the economically poor, steep decline in standards of learning in the state-run schools further jeopardised the future of the poor and accentuated long-term social and economic injustice to them.

He expressed concern over the increasing menace of illicit drugs in and around the campuses, social discrimination, caste crimes, highest suicide rate in the state, and ‘several modules and sleeper cells of terrorist networks operating in various parts of our state.’ 

“This (modules and sleeper cells of terrorist networks) is a very serious national security concern. It is vitiating our social harmony and has potential to severely disrupt our economy. I urge the people to remain vigilant and the enforcement agencies to aggressively root them (terror networks) out,” Ravi said.

He cautioned the people to be vigilant against anti-national elements and vested interest persons trying to disrupt the peace, divide and fragment the society in the name of race, religion, language, and caste. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Friday warned Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and the ruling DMK to sort out their long-running squabble over the appointment of vice-chancellors for state-run universities.

A bench led by Justice SB Pardiwala told both sides – who have bickered, for years now, over the Governor’s refusal to clear a clutch of bills designed to limit his powers to appoint vice-chancellors – that, “By next date (of hearing) if this is resolved… well and good. Otherwise, we will resolve it.”

The row stems from the Governor’s insistence on appointing the vice-chancellors in his capacity as the honorary chancellor of universities run by the Tamil Nadu government. The two sides also disagree over the Governor’s ability to appoint personnel to the state’s Public Service Commission.

The state moved the court last year after Mr Ravi set up a committee to name vice-chancellors for the University of Madras, Bharathiar University, and the Tamil Nadu Teachers Training University.

The state called the move “illegal” and reconstituted the committee, removing members from the University Grants Commission, a statutory body under the Union Education Ministry.

Mr Ravi later withdrew the search committees he had set up.

Earlier the DMK moved the court seeking directions to the Governor to clear several bills, including two passed by the preceding All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led government.

The ruling party accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-appointed Mr Ravi of deliberately delaying the bills and scuttling the state’s development by “undermining the elected administration”.

READ | Tamil Nadu Governor Returns 10 Bills, Week After Court’s Concerns

In an earlier hearing, in November 2023, the court took a dim view of the allegations, and asked the Governor, “These bills (have been) pending since 2020. What were you doing for three years?”

READ | “What Was Governor Doing For 3 Years?” Top Court On Tamil Nadu Bills

The court – which was told Mr Ravi had returned 10 bills and was then hearing similar pleas by the Punjab and Kerala, ruled by parties opposed to the BJP – also raised a point of law, asking, “Can a Governor withhold assent on a bill without sending it back to the Assembly?”

The court also noted the Governor of any state – under Article 200 of the Constitution – had only three options – clear bills presented to him, withhold assent, or send the bills to the President.

Appearing then for Mr Ravi, Solicitor General Tushar Ravi argued the Governor, of any state, “is not a mere technical supervisor” and that s/he had an important role to play in passing bills.

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Chennai:

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi was unable to digest that the state was developing and his decision not to address the Assembly was “childish”, Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Saturday.

The state Legislative Assembly has been witnessing strange scenes for the last few years after Mr Ravi took over as Governor, he said. “The Governor comes to the Assembly but returns without addressing the House. That’s why I had said that his actions were childish,” Mr Stalin told the Assembly.

As per Article 176 of the Constitution, the Governor has to deliver his address to the Legislative Assembly at the commencement of the session. “But he appears to be keen on violating the rules in a planned manner,” the Chief Minister said winding up the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address.

In 2022, this Governor delivered his address without altering the speech. But in the following three years, he avoided delivering his customary address citing ‘absurd’ reasons, the Chief Minister said.

Singing the Tamil anthem (Tamil Thai Valthu) before the session starts and playing the national anthem after the address has been the tradition for long. “I think, the Governor is unable to digest the fact that Tamil Nadu is developing. I may be an ordinary person but this Legislative Assembly came into existence due to the feelings of crore of people,” Mr Stalin said.

This House cannot bear to see the Governor doing something with political motives that drags the position and responsibility he held by not respecting the dignity of this Assembly, not respecting the people’s feelings, and ‘daring’ to insult the Tamil anthem. “We should not see such things again,” the Chief Minister added.

On January 6, Mr Ravi left the Assembly without delivering the customary address. The Raj Bhavan later said that he left ‘in deep anguish’ as the national anthem wasn’t played.

“Disrespecting the Constitution does not augur well for democracy,” the Governor had then said. Reacting, Stalin had said, “it was childish of the Governor choosing not to read the government address.” In his reply to the House today, Stalin reminded that the Dravidian uprising arose against neglect, humiliation, and oppression. Stalin, who is president of DMK, exuded confidence that his party would certainly form the government for the seventh time.

On the opposition AIADMK members turning up in the Assembly wearing black shirts and sarees to protest against the state government over the Anna University student sexual assault case, he sought to know if they had the courage to stage a ‘black shirt’ protest against the Governor who continued to insult Tamil Nadu.

“I would have been happy if the AIADMK had worn black shirts to condemn the Union Government or the national education policy,” the Chief Minister said.

On the law and order situation, Stalin said the police functioned independently and brought down the crimes. He was a liberal in permitting agitations by the opposition parties, the CM said.

Later, Leader of the House Duraimurugan asked Speaker M Appavu to pronounce his ruling on the discussion between the Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami over the facts on filing FIR in the Pollachi sexual assault case.

Appavu stated that after perusing the evidence submitted to him by the Chief Minister and Palaniswami, it was clear that the FIR was registered twelve days after the crime was reported.

“The Chief Minister had conveyed the correct information to the House,” Appavu said.

As the AIADMK members protested against his ruling, Appavu said he would rest the case at this juncture without going into details, and adjourned the House sine die. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chennai:

Actor-turned-politician Vijay will meet Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi in Chennai today at 1 pm amid outrage over the sexual assault incident at Anna University. 

The sexual assault of a second-year student on the campus of Anna University on December 23 has sparked protests across Tamil Nadu. The incident has led to the arrest of one person and four special police teams are working on the case. 

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Women Welfare Federation staged protests outside Anna University’s Guindy campus, demanding justice and stricter security measures for women in educational institutions.

Vijay, the chief of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), described the incident as “deeply shocking and painful” on Wednesday in a statement posted on X. 

“Although the police have informed that a person who sexually assaulted has been arrested, I urge the Tamil Nadu government to take swift legal action against him and ensure appropriate punishment. Also, if anyone else is involved in this heinous crime, appropriate action should also be taken against them promptly,” Vijay wrote on X. 

Vijay suggested the use of the Nirbhaya Fund to install smart poles equipped with emergency buttons, CCTV cameras, and telephones in vulnerable areas. He also called for adequate restroom facilities in public spaces, and launching mobile apps and emergency hotlines dedicated to women’s safety.

On Saturday, the Madras High Court constituted an all-women IPS officers’ Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising Sneha Priya, Ayman Jamal, and Brinda. The SIT is tasked with investigating not only the sexual assault but also the leak of the victim’s FIR.

The court ordered the Tamil Nadu government to pay Rs 25 lakh as compensation to the victim. It further directed Anna University to ensure the victim receives free education, along with boarding, lodging, and counselling support. Additionally, the High Court issued warnings to the Tamil Nadu DGP, mandating strict measures to prevent FIR leaks in future sexual offence cases.

The incident has intensified political pressure on the ruling DMK government. BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai staged a dramatic protest on Friday, whipping himself outside his home as a symbolic gesture against what he called the “failure” of the DMK in ensuring women’s safety.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has dispatched a two-member fact-finding team to investigate the case and monitor the government’s response.

Chennai:

Tensions between the Tamil Nadu government and governor rose significantly on Friday after Chief Minister MK Stalin said a line with the word ‘Dravida’ was skipped when the Tamil anthem was sung at an event attended by Governor RN Ravi. Mr Stalin accused the governor of insulting national unity and asked the Centre to recall him. 

The skipping of the line added fuel to a raging fire over Mr Ravi attending the golden jubilee celebrations of Chennai Doordarshan, which also marked the culmination of the Hindi Month. Chief Minister Stalin had objected to this and said celebrating Hindi in a non-Hindi-speaking state is seen as an attempt to belittle other languages. 

The Tamil Anthem, the Tamil Thai Vazhthu, is sung at the beginning of every government programme and the word ‘Dravida’ refers to the people in the southern states. A group from Doordarshan, while singing the anthem, left out the line which has the word in it. 

Doordarshan Tamil has apologised for the line being skipped and blamed the mistake on the singers being distracted.

Hitting out at the governor, Mr Stalin, who is also the president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), said Mr Ravi is “unfit” for his post and asked whether he would call for ‘Dravida’ being skipped in the national anthem. 

Pointing out that skipping the word in the Tamil anthem violates the state’s law, Mr Stalin accused the governor of insulting national unity and the people of many races in the guise of celebrating Hindi. 

“Will the governor who suffers from a Dravidian allergy ask them to leave out ‘Dravida’ in the national anthem? The Union Government should immediately recall the Governor who is deliberately insulting Tamil Nadu and the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu,” Mr Stalin wrote in Tamil in a post on X.

In a statement, Doordarshan Tamil apologised for the mistake and blamed it on distracted singers. It said there was no intent to disrespect Tamil or the Tamil Anthem and also apologised to the governor for the inconvenience caused to him.

New Delhi/Chennai:

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi’s remark that secularism is an “European concept” has landed him in a controversy, with opposition leaders questioning how such a person has been appointed in such a constitutional post. Mr Ravi, who has had run-ins with the MK Stalin-led state government over his remarks on Mahatma Gandhi and withholding bills passed by the assembly, came under fire after he said the concept of secularism came from the West and has no place in India.

“A lot of frauds have been committed on people of this country, and one of them is that they have tried to give a wrong interpretation of secularism. What does secularism mean? Secularism is a European concept, and it is not an Indian concept,” Mr Ravi said at a public event in Tamil Nadu’s Kanniyakumari.

In Europe, he continued, secularism arrived as a result of a fight between the church and the king. “How can India be away from dharma? Secularism is a European concept and let it be there only. In India, there is no need for secularism,” he said.

The term “secular” was added to the preamble of the Indian Constitution through the 42nd amendment in 1976.

The opposition slammed the Governor remarks and said he might say in the future that Constitution itself is a “foreign concept”.

CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat asserted secularism, or separation of religion from politics, is very much part of the Indian Constitution.

#WATCH | Delhi: On Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi’s statement on secularism, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat says, “This governor has taken oath in the name of Constitution I presume…secularism is very much part of our Constitution…separation of religion from politics is very much… pic.twitter.com/4pFXB0wx1o

— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2024

“This governor has taken oath in the name of Constitution I presume. Tomorrow, he will say the Constitution of India itself is a foreign concept. This is what the RSS understanding is. It is a shame that such a person has been appointed as governor of such an important state like Tamil Nadu,” she told ANI.

Read | “Secularism European Concept, Don’t Need It In India”: Tamil Nadu Governor

CPI leader D Raja strongly deplored the Governor’s remarks and said even BR Ambedkar – the architect of the Indian constitution – had rejected a “theocratic concept.”

“What does he know about secularism? What does he know about India? He is a governor. He must abide by the Constitution. The Constitution of India defines India as secular democratic republic. Dr BR Ambedkar emphatically rejected theocratic concept. Secularism means keeping religion and politics separate. Don’t bring Gods for electoral purposes,” Mr Raja said.

Congress leader P Chidambaram questioned if the same logic should be applied to federalism, one person one vote, and democracy – all of which originated in Europe.

Having draped Tiruvalluvar with a saffron robe, the Governor of Tamil Nadu has now discovered that secularism was an European concept and it has no place in India

He is not correct, but assume he is right. Federalism was also an European concept. Shall we declare that…

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 23, 2024

“Having draped Tiruvalluvar with a saffron robe, the Governor of Tamil Nadu has now discovered that secularism was a European concept and it has no place in India. He is not correct, but assume he is right. Federalism was also a European concept. Shall we declare that Federalism has no place in India?” he said in an online post.

Mr Ravi had earlier courted controversy over the depiction of Tamil poet-saint Thiruvalluvar in saffron robes in an invitation card for an official event.

Read | “Withhold Bill – Decent Language To Mean…”: Governor vs MK Stalin Again

“One person, one vote was also an European concept. Shall we declare that some people will have no right to vote? Democracy was also a European concept not known to India that was ruled by maharajahs and rajas. Shall we declare that democracy will be jettisoned in this country? Constitutional functionaries, especially those who hold titular positions, should take a vow of silence,” he added.

The DMK, which is in power in Tamil Nadu, has also criticised Mr Ravi’s remarks and said the Governor must read the Constitution.

“Secularism is the most needed concept in India, not in Europe. Particularly the Governor, he had not gone through the Constitution of India. Article 25 says that there should be a conscious freedom of religion that he doesn’t know. He should go and read the constitution fully,” DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said.

Petrol bomb attack: Did T.N. Raj Bhavan politicise it?

| Video Credit:
S. Shiva Raj

On October 25, a man hurled a petrol bomb directed at the campus of the Raj Bhavan in Chennai. The Molotov Cocktail fell on the road and exploded just before a steel barricade. The police were quick to step in and surround him but he had managed to lob another bomb. The police identified him easily.

He was Karukka Vinoth, who was involved in similar Molotov Cocktail attacks in the past. Some years ago, he was accused of hurling a petrol bomb at a TASMAC liquor outlet in Chennai. In 2017, he made a daring attack at the Teynampet Police Station. Last year, he was arrested by Chennai police after hurling a petrol bomb at the Tamil Nadu BJP office.

The Raj Bhavan incident happened just days after Vinoth was released on bail. Soon after this incident, the question on people’s minds was why the police did not put Vinoth under surveillance, given that he was a habitual offender. This issue would have confronted the ruling DMK government. It would have been cornered on the issue of law and order had not the Raj Bhavan stepped in to provide a counter narrative.

Six hours after this attack, the Raj Bhavan put out a statement on X: “Raj Bhavan was attacked today afternoon. Miscreants carrying bombs tried to barge in through the main gate. However, alert sentries prevented and assailants hurled two petrol bombs inside Raj Bhavan and escaped.”
We look at the words used in this statement, where the police failed, previous instances of petrol bomb attacks in Tamil Nadu, and if this incident was politicised.
Script and presentation: D. Suresh Kumar

Production: Shibu Narayan

Videography: S. Shiva Raj

Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu:

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Monday claimed that great national freedom fighters like the Maruthu brothers and Muthuramalinga Thevar have been reduced to the stature of caste leaders in the state due to a political conspiracy to promote the British Dravidian narrative.

Celebrations commemorating their sacrifices have been privatised, he said.

“A concerted attempt has been made in this state to erase the history of this place, to write a parallel history. A false narrative on racial divide of Dravidian and Aryan was created,” RN Ravi claimed at an event here after paying floral tributes to a portrait of the Maruthu brothers, Periya Maruthu and Chinna Maruthu.

“Do you know who the father of Dravidian theory is? Who gave it? It was Robert Caldwell who created the hypothesis that Dravidian is a separate race,” the Governor said.

Robert Caldwell, a missionary, was a school dropout and over time he became an expert on languages, he added.

“It was the British design to divide the country and they picked up collaborators during the freedom movement,” he said.

A counter-freedom movement on Aryan and Dravidian divide was created during the Independence movement and it started destroying the institutions that defined this place, the Governor claimed.

But Tamil Nadu, RN Ravi said, was a land of great spiritual leaders, ‘siddhars’, ‘rishis’, and a land that produced a large number of warriors.

The Maruthu brothers were perhaps the first freedom fighters of India who ignited the national freedom movement long before others woke up to it, by giving up their lives and by providing a conceptual framework — Jambudweep prakatanam — for the whole of India, RN Ravi said, adding that the declaration was placed in Srirangam temple in Tiruchirappalli.

He recalled that two years ago, he received a list of Tamil Nadu’s freedom fighters containing less than 40 names and was disappointed to note that there was no mention of the Maruthu brothers. He wondered that if a small state like Nagaland, where he served as Governor earlier, could have more than one thousand freedom fighters, how come Tamil Nadu has only a handful.

Later on, he said, he learnt that there were several thousands of freedom fighters from the state who sacrificed their lives for independence.

He regretted that in 2012 a prohibitory order, citing a law and order incident resulting in the deaths of some people, was issued by the authorities, restraining people from assembling in large numbers from October 23 to 31 in Sivaganga district, where the Maruthu brothers carried out their activities and which was the centre of revolt against the British.

As a result, remembering the sacrifices of the Maruthu brothers has become a private affair, even 11 years after the unfortunate incident, the Governor said.

Muthuramalinga Thevar, another great national freedom fighter and associate of Netaji, has also been reduced to the stature of a caste leader, he added.

“I wonder if Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, Sardar Patel and Bhagat Singh, too, would have been reduced to caste leaders had they been born in Tamil Nadu. Such is the situation here today. I think this is not acceptable,” he said.

Quoting a couplet from Thirukkural, authored by Tamil savant Thiruvalluvar, the Governor reminded that it was not virtuous on one’s part to forget to show gratitude to those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chennai:

In a fresh tussle between the Governor and the state government in Tamil Nadu, Governor RN Ravi constituted search-cum-selection committees for the selection of Vice Chancellors of Bharathiar University, Tamil Nadu Teacher Education University, and University of Madras.

Responding to this, Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister Ponmudi in a release said, “Tamil Nadu Governor constitute search-cum-selection committees arbitrarily which is against University Law and norms. Tamil Nadu Government will face the Governor arbitrary move legally.”

“Under the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department there are 13 universities which are all functioning with its own law and regulations. According to that, if the Vice-Chancellor position got expired then a search committee would be formed then the Vice-Chancellor position would be filled. The Governor does not have the regulations to constitute a Search committee to select Vice-Chancellor for the Universities which are all under the Higher Education Department,” Minister Ponmudi said in a statement.

“No Governor so far has constituted a search committee for Vice-Chancellors on their own. There are no regulations in rules for that. Only the Government will release the Order about the Search committee. Now the Governor has acted in an arbitrary way and has constituted search and selection committee for Vice-Chancellors. The governor constituted committee is fully against University Law and rules. The government will take this issue legally,” the Higher Education Minister added.

According to the press release issued by the Raj Bhavan, the constituted Search-cum-Selection Committee for the selection of Vice Chancellor of Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, comprises four Members: PWC Davidar, as Govemment Nominee or Convener, P. Duraisamy, former Vice Chancellor of University of Madras as Syndicate Nominee, G. Thiruvasagam, former Vice Chancellor of Bharathiar University and University of Madras, as Senate Nominee and B.Thimmegowda, former Vice-Chancellor, Bangalore University, as UGC Chairman’s Nominee.

The Search-cum-Selection Committee for the selection of Vice Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University, Chennai, comprises four Members: Sushma Yadava, Member, University Grants Commission, as Chancellor’s Nominee/Convener, K. Allaudin as Goverment Nominee, T.Padmanaban, former Vice Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University as Syndicate Nominee and HCS Rathore, former Vice Chancellor, Central University of South Bihar, as UGC Chairman’s Nominee, the release said.

The Search-cum-Selection Committee for the selection of Vice Chancellor of University of Madras comprises four Members: Battu Satyanarayana, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Kamataka, as Chancellor’s Nominee or Convener; K.Deenabandu, Member, State Planning Commission, as Syndicate Nominee; P. Jagadeesan, former Vice Chancellor, Bharathidasan University, as Senate Nominee and HCS Rathore, Former Vice- Chancellor, Central University of South Bihar, as UGC Chairman’s Nominee, the press release mentioned.

The friction between the MK Stalin government and Governor RN Ravi is well-known in political circles.

Earlier in July, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote a 15-page letter to President Droupadi Murmu saying that Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi’s various activities show he is not fit to be a Governor.

CM Stalin alleged that the activities of Governor Ravi were against the people of Tamil Nadu and the elected Government.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)