CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu assembly on Saturday readopted 10 bills 'returned' by governor R N Ravi.

The assembly readopted the bills without making any amendments.This included a bill passed by the AIADMK regime to change the name of Tamil Nadu Fisheries University to Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University and including a government nominee in the selection panel for the appointment of vice-chancellor of the varsity.

A resolution moved by chief minister M K Stalin said, “The governor had kept the bills for a long time and on November 13, without giving any reasons, he returned the bills, mentioning in the above bills that ‘I withhold assent’ to the bills.

This assembly feels that withholding of assent by the governor to the bills and returning it without giving any reasons is not acceptable.”AIADMK and BJP MLAs walked out of the assembly before the bills were readopted.The assembly had a special sitting, days after the governor returned the bills largely empowering the state government to appoint the vice-chancellors of the universities.

The two bills that were considered and passed by the 15th legislative assembly (the previous AIADMK regime) and the eight bills that were considered and passed by the 16th legislative assembly (the DMK regime).“This House takes note of that under the proviso to Article 200 of the Constitution of India, if the above-mentioned bills are passed again and presented to the governor for assent, the governor shall not withhold assent therefrom,” the resolution said.10 bills returned by the governorA bill sought to amend the universities laws to empower the state government to appoint the vice-chancellor of the 12 universities under the administrative control of the higher education department.Similarly, bills were adopted in April and May last year to amend the Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University Act, the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University Act, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Act, the Tamil University Act, the Tamil Nadu Fisheries University Act and the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Act to empower the government.

A review meeting of the higher education department chaired by the chief secretary in December 2021 decided to include the finance secretary to the government as one of the syndicate members of all universities, except University of Madras, Mother Teresa Women’s University and Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University.

The bill was adopted exactly a year ago.The previous AIADMK regime adopted two bills in January 2020, seeking to amend the statutes of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and Fisheries University to confer the government with the ‘power of inspection and inquiry’ instead of the chancellor.

Both these institutions are state-funded.

The government sanctions funds for administration and implementation of various schemes.

In addition, the bill also sought to change the name of Tamil Nadu Fisheries University to Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, besides including a government nominee in the selection panel for the appointment of vice-chancellor of the varsity.

Both the bills were sent to the then governor, Banwarilal Purohit, for his assent in January 2020.Two bills reserved by governor R N Ravi for President’s considerationIn line with the university laws of Gujarat, Telangana and Karnataka, the DMK government adopted a bill to amend the Madras University Act to empower the state to appoint the vice-chancellor instead of governor, the chancellor.

The bill was sent to the governor in April last year.Following the budget announcement in 2021-22, a bill was adopted for the establishment of a separate siddha medical university for Indian system of medicine near Chennai.

It is to benefit 49 government and private siddha, ayurveda, unani, yoga, and naturopathy and homeopathy colleges in the state.