Chennai, Dec 18 (Reporter) Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi has called upon the State government to recall the notification excluding the UGC Chairman's Nominee in difference to the Search Committee announced by him to to identify the candidate for appointment as the Vice Chancellor of Annamalai University, Chidambaram. The notification issued by the Higher Education Department has violated the Supreme Court orders, the Raj Bhavan said today. The Governor as the Chancellor of Annamalai University asked the government to notify the Search Committee constituted by him , including the UGC Chairman's nominee for appointment as Vice Chancellor. The Governor had on October 25, 2024 constituted a four-member Search Committee for identification of the candidate for appointment as Vice-Chancellor of the University. The Search Committee includes nominees of the Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Government, Syndicate of the University and UGC Chairman’s nominee, as per provisions of Annamalai University Act and as per prevailing regulations of UGC, 2018 which is held to be mandatory by the Supreme Court. A Raj Bhavan communique said the Governor-Chancellor has directed the Tamil Nadu Government to notify the constitution of the Search Committee of Annamalai University vide letter dated October 25, 2024, consisting of the above four members, with the Chancellor’s nominee as the Convener of the Committee. The Higher Education Department has issued a Government Order G.O dated December 9, 2024, notifying the Search Committee of Annamalai University, Chidambaram and to be published in the Official Gazette. The said Notification purposefully excluded the UGC Chairman’s nominee, in violation of the judgements of the Supreme Court, which has already held in the case of Prof. (Dr) Sreejith P.S. Vs. Dr.Rajasree M.S. and Others (Civil Appeal numbers 7634-7635 of 2022, SLP(c) Nos, 21108-21109 of 2021) that any appointment as a Vice Chancellor made on the recommendation of the Search Committee, which is constituted contrary to the provisions of the UGC Regulations shall be void ab initio. The said notification issued by the Government is in difference to the Search Committee constituted and is void ab initio; being contrary to the existing UGC regulations and prevailing orders of the Supreme Court. The Chancellor has called upon the Tamil Nadu Government to recall the said notification, which is in difference to the Search Committee constituted and sent for issuing notification and directed to notify the Search Committee for appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of Annamalai University as constituted by the Chancellor, which includes the UGC Chairman’s nominee...////...