Governor as Chancellor
Constitutional and Statutory Framework
In India, the Governor of a state is typically the ex-officio Chancellor of state public universities by virtue of the respective state university Acts (not the Constitution directly). As Chancellor, the Governor acts independently of the Council of Ministers — unlike in the role of constitutional Governor where he acts on the advice of the cabinet under Article 163. The power to appoint the Vice-Chancellor is exercised by the Chancellor (Governor) based on recommendations from a Search Committee.
- Article 163: Council of Ministers aids and advises the Governor in the exercise of his functions, except where the Governor is required by the Constitution to act in his discretion.
- As Chancellor, the Governor's power derives from state university statutes, not the Constitution itself — meaning state legislatures can, in principle, amend these statutes to vest the appointment power elsewhere.
- The Supreme Court, in multiple judgments (including those arising from Kerala and AP disputes), has held that the Governor must act on the recommendations of the Search Committee and cannot unilaterally appoint his own candidates.
- Several states (Tamil Nadu since 2022, Maharashtra, West Bengal) have moved to transfer or dilute the Governor's VC appointment role, triggering constitutional litigation.
● Tracked since March 05, 2026 · last seen April 02, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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