On February 4, 2026, the Supreme Court set aside an interim order by the Madras High Court that had paused Tamil Nadu's amended law allowing it to appoint Vice-Chancellors at State-run universities. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, considered petitions from Tamil Nadu challenging the High Court's May 2025 stay order. The State had also requested the case be moved to the Supreme Court. The Bench emphasized that the State must get a fair chance to be heard and sent the case back to the High Court. "Since we are setting aside primarily on technical grounds, our order should have no bearing on the merits of the case," the Court noted. It directed that any appropriate Bench of the High Court hear the matter and urged a decision within six weeks, noting the State's "fair stand." This move restores Tamil Nadu's pathway to appoint Vice-Chancellors while ensuring proper legal scrutiny.