Overview

• Governor R. N. Ravi claimed that Tamil Nadu police used intimidation tactics, including midnight hotel room knocks, to prevent state university vice-chancellors from attending a two-day education conference in Ooty.
• Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the conference and praised Governor Ravi’s efforts as part of his constitutional responsibilities to improve higher education.
• The conference, the fourth annual event organized by the Governor, saw a near-total boycott by state university vice-chancellors, who reportedly cited warnings from the state government as their reason for not attending.
• DMK leaders, including Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhian, dismissed the Governor’s allegations as baseless and accused him of politicizing education in retaliation for a Supreme Court ruling curbing his powers.
• The event has become a flashpoint in the ongoing power struggle between the DMK-led state government and the Governor over university governance following the Supreme Court's recent verdict limiting gubernatorial authority.