In a first, Tamil Nadu Govt notifies 10 laws without Governor nod

The Acts, all re-adopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly last year after the Governor delayed or withheld assent, were forwarded to the President but were ultimately deemed passed following the Supreme Court’s order.

The government’s move, formalised via the official Gazette, marks a turning point in Centre-state relations and redefines the balance of power in the federal structure.

Calling it a “historic” development, Chief Minister M K Stalin said in a social media post: “DMK means creating history.”

Among the laws notified are: The Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (Amendment) Act, 2020, which renames the institution as The Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, a symbolic nod to the late AIADMK leader.

Several other Acts, primarily focused on state-run universities, amend existing statutes to remove the powers of the Governor — who traditionally serves as Chancellor — to appoint and remove Vice-Chancellors. These powers will now rest solely with the elected state government, effectively the Chief Minister.

“History is made as these are the first Acts of any legislature in India to have taken effect without the signature of the Governor/ President, but on the strength of the Supreme Court judgment. Our universities will now be cleansed and taken to a new level under the chancellorship of the government,” said P Wilson, Rajya Sabha MP and the DMK’s counsel in the Supreme Court.

The implications are both immediate and sweeping. At least half-a-dozen state universities have been functioning without permanent V-Cs due to the Governor’s refusal to clear search committees constituted by the government. With the new laws in force, the state has moved swiftly to ask these committees to resume work.

According to officials familiar with the matter, the amendments across universities — including Dr MGR Medical University, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and Tamil University — replace the terms “Governor” and “Chancellor” with “Government”. The state will now also have the power to remove V-Cs from their posts, expanding executive control over higher education in a state that has often clashed with the Centre on matters of autonomy.

The political undertone is unmistakable, and the Tamil Nadu government’s move could set a precedent for other Opposition-ruled states seeking greater autonomy in governance, reclaiming state rights from what they describe as a “deliberate obstruction” by the Governor’s office.