The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval to amend the Public Universities Act in order to empower the state government in recommending to the governor the names for the post of vice chancellors, a move being seen as an attempt to clip the governor’s powers.
The governor is the chancellor of the universities in the state and makes appointments of vice chancellors based on the recommendations of a committee.
A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said the committee set up to recommend the names of vice chancellors will suggest five names to the state government, which in turn will forward two names to the governor for selection.
The Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016, will be amended and the state government will be given the powers to recommend to the governor the names for the vice chancellor’s posts.
As per the present provision of the Act, a vice chancellor is appointed by the chancellor on recommendation of a committee, which comprises a nominee of the chancellor, who is a retired judge of the Supreme Court or high court, principal secretary of the higher and technical education department, director or head of an institute of national repute established by an Act of Parliament.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi government comprising Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, shares a strained relationship with Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
There have been several flashpoints between him and the Uddhav Thackeray-led dispensation over various issues.
