Video: DMK Functionary's Student Wife Refuses To Receive PhD Degree From Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, who is known to have an acrimonious relationship with the state government, was shunned by a female student at a university on Wednesday.

The student, Jean Joseph – wife of M Rajan, a DMK party functionary from Nagercoil – bypassed Governor Ravi during her convocation, choosing instead to receive her degree from the Vice-Chancellor.

Governor Ravi was conferring degrees at the 32nd convocation of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MSU) on Wednesday.

According to reports, Jean Joseph, a PhD student, declined to receive her doctorate from the Governor, alleging that he has acted against the interests of Tamil people and the Tamil language.

Footage from the event shows Governor Ravi smiling and gesturing for her to stand beside him. Instead, she bypasses him to collect her degree directly from the Vice-Chancellor, then appears to offer a brief “thank you,” prompting a polite nod from Ravi in response.

The DMK government in Tamil Nadu and Governor Ravi have been locked in a prolonged standoff over legislative approvals. Between November 2020 and April 2023, the state assembly passed 13 bills, but the Governor either delayed or returned 10 of them without explanation. Even after the Assembly re-passed these bills unchanged, Governor Ravi withheld his assent, forwarding them to the President for review — an action the Supreme Court later ruled unconstitutional.