The State Platform for Common School System has urged Tamil Nadu government to instruct the Vice-Chancellors (VCs) and faculty of State universities to boycott the conference to be organised by the Raj Bhavan on Monday and Tuesday in Udhagamandalam.
A recent statement by the Raj Bhavan said that Governor R.N. Ravi would be inaugurating the conference that was intended to come up with ideas and action plan for India’s role in emerging new world order. University Grants Commission Chairman M. Jagadeesh Kumar and Chief Executive Officer of Zoho Corporation Sridhar Vembu would be delivering special addresses in the conference.
SPCSS general secretary P.B. Prince Gajendra Babu said in a statement that the move was “highly mischievous” and done with an intention to undermine the role of the State government. He said organising the conference, that too without consulting the State government and without the presence of the State Higher Education Minister, was akin to running a parallel government.
Policy decisions could emerge only from the Council of Ministers and the Governor could not override the powers of the elected government, he said. Such a conference would influence policies of the universities and was a direct challenge to the State government, which established each State university through acts passed in the Assembly.
Urging the Raj Bhavan to cancel the conference, SPCSS demanded that VCs and other faculty of State universities boycott it. He said the State government should not stay mute spectator to such “authoritative actions” of the Governor and instruct VCs and faculty members to not attend the conference.
