Governor R.N. Ravi of Tamil Nadu Expresses Gratitude to PM Modi for His Support of Tamil Language and Literature

Chennai, Dec 24 (NationPress) During a four-day trip to the national capital, Tamil Nadu's Governor R.N. Ravi met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to convey his appreciation for the Prime Minister's affection towards the state's populace, as well as the Tamil language and literature.

The Prime Minister's Office shared images from this meeting on the social media platform X.

The Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan also posted on X: “Hon’ble Governor Thiru R.N. Ravi met with Hon’ble Prime Minister Thiru Narendra Modi and engaged in a productive discussion. On behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, he expressed gratitude to Thiru Narendra Modi for his immense love for the residents of the state, as well as for the Tamil language and literature.”

It is important to note that Governor Ravi's relationship with the DMK-led administration has been fraught with tension since he took office.

Recently, the disagreements between the Governor and the state government intensified regarding the appointment of Vice Chancellors for various universities.

The first session of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly for 2025 is set to commence at 9:30 a.m. on January 6, during which the Governor will deliver the traditional inaugural address.

However, it remains uncertain if this session will see a similar confrontation to that which occurred in 2024.

In the 2024 Assembly session, Governor Ravi declined to present the traditional inaugural address curated by the state government. He only read the initial paragraph before exiting without completing the address, which included wishes for “happiness, prosperity, and well-being” and a couplet from the Tirukkural.

The ongoing conflict over Vice-Chancellor appointments is likely to exacerbate tensions. As the Chancellor of state universities, the Governor had previously requested the Tamil Nadu government to retract its December 9 notification that established a search committee for the Vice Chancellor’s position at Annamalai University.

He also insisted on the withdrawal of similar notifications for Anna University, Bharathidasan University, and Periyar University, pointing to the lack of University Grants Commission (UGC) nominees on the search panels.

In a statement, the Raj Bhavan cautioned that any selections made by a committee formed without a UGC nominee might be overturned by the courts. In a letter addressed to the state government, the Governor highlighted that the notification for the search for Annamalai University’s Vice Chancellor contravened Supreme Court directives by omitting a UGC nominee.

Tamil Nadu’s Higher Education Minister responded by affirming that the government had complied with the regulations governing state universities. The discord arises from the Governor’s demand for UGC nominees to be included in search committees for Vice Chancellor appointments, while the DMK government argues that state laws were properly followed.

While the state government provides funding for the universities, the Governor, in his role as Chancellor, retains the authority to appoint Vice Chancellors.

The previous Vice Chancellor of Annamalai University, R.M. Kathiresan, saw his tenure conclude on November 23, leaving the position unfilled amidst the ongoing dispute.