Former Law Minister C.Ve. Shanmugam of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has filed a public interest litigation petition in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the State government to provide necessary funds for smooth functioning and upkeep of Dr.J. Jayalalithaa University created in Villupuram in February this year after bifurcating Thiruvalluvar University.
The litigant had also urged the court to restrain Thiruvalluvar University from operating post-graduate extension centres in Villupuram in violation of the provisions of the Dr.J. Jayalalithaa University Act of 2021. In his affidavit, Mr. Shanmugam said that the new university was established in Villupuram following a request made by him last year in his capacity as an MLA representing the constituency.
Accordingly, the Dr. J. Jayalalalithaa University Act was enacted and it received the Governor’s assent on February 25 this year. The object of the Act was to bifurcate the jurisdiction of Thiruvalluvar University and bring Villupuram, Kallakurichi and Cuddalore districts within the ambit of the new university named after the former Chief Minister. However, after a change of regime in the State, the new university was being neglected, he complained.
Though a Vice-Chancellor was appointed, no other support had been provided to the new university. The previous AIADMK government had earmarked around 70 acres at Semmedu village in Villupuram for the university campus, yet it was continuing to function from an old Taluk office without even being provided with requisite support staff. The non-appointment of Registrar had scuttled all administrative and educational functions, he said.
To add insult to the injury, the Thiruvalluvar University had called for applications to post-graduate courses to be conducted by its extension centres in Villupuram. Such action was in violation of the new legislation, Mr. Shanmugam said.
