Ceremonial heads , Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court has censured the Tamil Nadu Governor for obstructing bills passed by the state legislature.
• Governor R.N. Ravi referred the Kalaignar University Bill to the President instead of assenting to it.
• Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar directed state-run universities to observe a ‘Partition horrors day’ on August 14.
• State-owned universities have become a major point of conflict between Governors and State governments.

Detailed Insights:

• The office of the Governor was originally a colonial mechanism to control provinces, with Governors serving as Chancellors of universities to ensure autonomy and prestige.
• Early Indian leaders retained the Governor as a central appointee to guard against separatist tendencies.
• Draft UGC regulations seek to give Chancellors greater power in the selection of Vice-Chancellors, potentially reducing the role of State governments.
• The National Education Policy 2020 emphasizes greater autonomy for educational institutions, requiring university heads to manage finances and fundraising.
• Some argue that professionals should replace Governors as both ceremonial and executive heads of universities.
• The Supreme Court specified timelines for the Governor’s response to Bills and declared any Presidential intervention based on the Governor’s recommendation as invalid.
• In many states, legislation retained the role of Governors as Chancellors of state-run universities to give them a colonial aura.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Governor: The appointed head of a state, acting as a representative of the central government.
• Chancellor: The ceremonial head of a university, often the Governor of the state.
• National Education Policy 2020: A policy framework to transform the education system in India.