The Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside a Madras High Court order that had stayed key Tamil Nadu laws amending university statutes, including provisions on the appointment of vice‑chancellors.A three‑judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant ruled that the interim stay granted by a vacation bench of the Madras High Court in May 2025 was flawed because the State government was not given adequate opportunity to be heard before the order was passed.
The High Court’s earlier injunction had paused the operation of 10 amendment Acts that shifted the power to appoint vice‑chancellors of state universities from the Governor (as Chancellor) to the State government, a reform contested on constitutional grounds.
Setting aside the stay on procedural grounds, the apex court remitted the matter to the Madras High Court for a fresh hearing, directing that it be listed before an appropriate bench and heard after granting a reasonable hearing to all parties.
The Supreme Court also recorded the Tamil Nadu government’s assurance that no vice‑chancellor appointments will be made until the High Court decides the main case, and asked for the matter to be resolved within six weeks.