Ooty VC conference: TN Governor says situation is akin to Emergency

In a fresh row between Raj Bhavan and the ruling DMK, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has accused the state government of “threatening” vice-chancellors with police action to prevent them from participating in the annual vice-chancellors' conference in Udhagamandalam (Ooty).

The two-day event, organised by the Governor, began at the Raj Bhavan campus on Friday (April 25). Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the conference. However, the event has been overshadowed by controversy, with many state university VCs boycotting it, highlighting the deep-seated friction between Raj Bhavan and the Tamil Nadu government.

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The event has been criticised by the ruling DMK, its allies, and Opposition parties, who have labelled it “unconstitutional”.

State VCs skip conference

The conference aims to bring together heads of state, central, and private universities in Tamil Nadu to discuss academic governance and excellence. Ravi, who presided over the event, was commended by Dhankhar for his initiative. Dhankhar described the conference as a “commendable step” towards strengthening higher education institutions.

Notable among the absentees is Dr N Chandrasekar, the Vice-Chancellor of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Tirunelveli. Sources said Chandrasekar initially set out from Tirunelveli to attend the conference in Ooty. However, in a surprising turn of events, he changed his decision midway and returned to Tirunelveli without participating in the event. This last-minute withdrawal underscores the intense pressure and political dynamics surrounding the conference, as state university VCs face conflicting directives from the state government and the Governor’s office.

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According to senior officials, not a single VC of state-run universities is attending the event; only 32 representatives out of the 57 invited heads of higher education institutions were present at the conference, which included representatives from five central universities, 20 state universities, four central institutions, and 27 private universities.

Notably, just two state universities were represented, not by their Vice-Chancellors but by stand-in delegates: the director of the research department from Periyar University, stepping in due to the Vice-Chancellor’s “other commitments”, and a college principal from Alagappa University’s physical education department. However, a statement from Raj Bhavan claimed that this year’s conference in Ooty saw participation from 32 representatives, including Vice-Chancellors, Deans, Registrars, and Directors from central, state, and private varsities.

‘Warned by state government’

The controversy escalated when Governor Ravi alleged that Vice-Chancellors of state-run universities were “threatened” by the Tamil Nadu government to prevent their attendance at the conference. Governor Ravi made these remarks during the event, in the presence of Dhankhar, claiming that the state government had issued warnings to VCs to boycott the meet.

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He said, “Unfortunately, in this conference, the state universities are not participating, because they have informed me, even in writing, that they have been warned by the state government not to participate. As of now, one of our Vice Chancellors is in a police station. Some Vice Chancellors have reached Ooty, and something unprecedented happened; it had never happened before. There was a midnight knock at their doors, where the secret police, a special branch of the state, went and told them, ‘If you participate in the conference, you will not be able to go home and meet your family’.”

The Governor emphasised that the conference was intended to enhance educational quality and was free from any political agenda.

During the event, Ravi criticised the Tamil Nadu school and higher education departments for their “poor performance”. He highlighted glaring deficiencies, stating, “More than half the students in government schools cannot recognise two-digit numbers between 11 and 99, and this trend continues into our state universities. While Tamil Nadu boasts a gross enrolment ratio of over 50 per cent in higher education and our state universities produce over 6,500 PhDs annually — an impressive figure — the reality is stark. Fewer than 1 per cent of these PhDs qualify for NET JRF, a UGC benchmark that determines a scholar’s intellectual eligibility for research. This is a deeply uncomfortable situation.”

Ravi hits out at CM Stalin

Ravi also launched a direct attack on the Tamil Nadu government, pointing out systemic failures in the education sector. He remarked, “We discovered that many of our PhD holders are forced to take up menial jobs, even cleaning roles. While there’s no shame in cleaning, it’s disheartening that someone with a PhD earns just 15,000 rupees for such work. We asked ourselves, ‘Why is this happening?’ There are numerous constraints, but despite these, we sought ways to improve.”

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He further noted that state universities were operating in isolation, functioning in silos under the control of the secretariat. “We realised our universities weren’t even communicating with each other. So, we decided to foster collaboration and a meeting of minds, as that’s how knowledge truly grows,” Ravi added, emphasising the need for reform and dialogue to address these systemic issues.

Later, on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan, Ravi hit out at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and likened the “threatening” of VCs to the days of the Emergency.

“The manner in which Honourable Chief Minister Mr. Stalin used the police to prevent the Vice Chancellors of the state universities from participating in the conference that was scheduled in advance today is reminiscent of the days of the Emergency. When the State Higher Education Minister threatened the Vice Chancellors over the phone not to participate in the conference to no avail, Chief Minister Stalin used the police,” Ravi said.

Further, he stated, “On the day of the conference, a Vice-Chancellor was taken to the police station for questioning. The doors of the hotels where they were staying were knocked on at midnight. They were threatened by the police that there would be dire consequences if they participated in the conference and that they would not be allowed to return home if they participated in the conference. This is blatant abuse by the police!

“Is there a police state going on here? Don’t vice-chancellors have the academic freedom to attend an academic conference within the state? Or is Chief Minister Stalin afraid that the consequences of raising the standards of state universities, which greatly help Dalit and poor students, could threaten his political future, as any quality improvement will make students more enthusiastic and motivated?”

DMK reaction

Ravi’s remarks received backlash from the DMK and its allies, who have accused the Governor of making baseless allegations to undermine the elected government.

DMK Rajya Sabha MP P Wilson told The Federal, “I condemn these false and irresponsible statements made by Thiru RN Ravi, Governor of Tamil Nadu, who is proving to be incorrigible. How can a Governor make such baseless allegations against his own government? These kind of false statements that tend to excite subversive activities against the Government of Tamil Nadu is a serious crime.”

He further accused Ravi of abusing his constitutional immunity under Article 361(2) and attempting to “poison” universities with a particular ideology. Wilson reiterated the DMK’s commitment to preserving universities as centres of academic excellence, free from political interference and irrational ideologies.

Educationist defends Governor

The controversy has also drawn reactions from prominent academic figures. Dr. E Balagurusamy, former VC of Anna University and a respected educationist, expressed concern over the situation in a statement to the press.

Balagurusamy, who defended the Governor’s authority, told The Federal, “The Governor, as Chancellor, has the power to call all VCs and discuss academic issues. I am told some of the VCs were threatened not to attend this meeting. A new Bill, recently allowed by the Supreme Court, permits the state government to remove and appoint anyone as VC, which is why the state university VCs fear attending this meeting. It’s shameful for the state’s education system. I have never seen such a situation before in Tamil Nadu.”

Balagurusamy further criticised both sides for politicising education. “If the Governor is playing politics with the education department, now the government is doing the same in another way around. This must change, or it will create a worse situation in the education sector,” he warned.

He also raised concerns about the Supreme Court’s decision to approve the Bills empowering the state government to appoint VCs. “The Supreme Court allowed all 10 Bills without checking the impact on the ground, including the Bill allowing the Tamil Nadu government to appoint VCs. It’s not a clear Bill as there is a lot of confusion within it,” he added, highlighting the potential long-term implications for academic governance in the state.

Black flag protest

Members of the Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam (DVK) and Tamil Puligal Katchi (TPK) staged a black flag protest near Coimbatore airport as Ravi’s motorcade passed through en route to Ooty. The protesters raised slogans accusing the Governor of acting against Tamil Nadu’s interests. The police eventually dispersed the demonstration, but it reflected the growing discontent among various groups over Ravi’s tenure.

CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam accused Ravi of acting as an 'RSS agent'. “The Supreme Court verdict has curbed the Governor’s overreach. Unable to digest the setback, he is trying to stir controversy through this conference,” Shanmugam stated.

Tamil Nadu Congress leader Selvaperunthagai echoed similar sentiments, labelling Ravi’s actions as a disrespect to the Constitution.