The Madras High Court has directed Higher Education Secretary to consider within two months a plea made by Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan to ensure uniformity between all State-run universities in granting reservations for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in their syndicates, senates, academic councils and other administrative bodies.

Justices S. Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad issued the direction while disposing of a public interest litigation petition filed by Mr. Thirumavalavan, who was also a Member of Parliament, in 2017. On perusal of government’s counter affidavit, the judges found that some State-run universities had provided reservations for SCs and STs in their administrative bodies while the others had not provided any such reservation.

Wondering how could there be such a disparity in the statutes that govern the government-run universities, they directed the Higher Education secretary to set right the anomaly. They agreed with the petitioner’s counsel M. Palanimuthu that there should be some uniformity on the issue of granting representation to all sections of society.