Kannur (Kerala) [India], October 24 (ANI): Leader of Opposition (LoP) of Kerala VD Satheesan has welcomed the state Governor’s decision to “rectify his previous mistake of cooperating with the illegal appointments of the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan government.”

VD Satheesan also mentioned that the governor’s decision has come as a “setback” to the appointment of the vice-chancellors “in defiance with the norms and procedures of the University Grants Commission (UGC).”

“I welcome the fact that the Governor is ready to correct the mistake he made by cooperating with the illegal appointments of the Pinarayi government. The Governor’s decision has come as a setback to the government’s move to appoint vice-chancellors in defiance of UGC norms and procedures,” LoP VD Satheesan said on the Governor Arif Mohammad Khan’s order seeking the resignation of the VCs of nine universities by today.

According to the Public Relations Office of Kerala, Governor AM Khan upheld the verdict of the Supreme Court, and directed Vice Chancellors of nine varsities– Kannur Univeristy, Univesity of Kerala, Mahatama Gandhi University, APJ Abdul Kalam University, University of Calicut, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, and Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University to tender their resignations by 11.30 am today.

Reacting to this order, LoP Satheesan said that it is understood that the Governor has taken the decision in the context of the top court’s verdict of cancelling the appointment of the Technological University Vice Chancellor.

He further claimed that Kerala’s sector of higher education is in the “state of collapse” and alleged that the VCs had made appointments through back door. “The state’s higher education sector is in a state of collapse and there is complete uncertainty in the higher education sector. The vice-chancellors made their own people and favorites only to make back-door appointments. The opposition had pointed this out several times,” he said.

He mentioned that the UGC standards for VC appointment are “very precise” and the search committee should consist of academians, he said. However, the state law minister P Rajeev hit back at the Governor and said that it is nowhere mentioned in any regulation of UGC which states that the Chancellor should be the Governor.

This came while AM Khan pointed out the issue of the VC appointment to various universities in Kerala and said that the Supreme Court itself had earlier made it clear that the appointment of the vice-chancellors was the responsibility of the Governor.

Meanwhile, Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu also hit back at Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and said that his order demanding the resignation of the vice-chancellors of nine universities in the state was unfortunate. Addressing the media on Sunday, R Bindu said, “The governor’s action is a unilateral one. The order, which was taken without consulting the government, is regrettable.” (ANI)

Governor Arif Khan acting like tool of RSS, misusing office, says CM Vijayan on order to VCs to resign

Palakkad (Kerala) [India], October 24 (ANI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said that Governor Arif Mohammad Khan was acting as a tool of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and is misusing his powers while attempting to disrupt the functioning of universities in the state. “Governor is misusing the Chancellor post to exercise more powers than he holds. It is undemocratic and encroachment on the powers of the Vice Chancellors. The Governor’s post is not to move against the government but to uphold the Constitution’s dignity. He’s acting as a tool of RSS,” Vijayan said today.
Vijayan’s remarks come ahead of the deadline given by Governor Khan late on Sunday for vice-chancellors of all nine universities in the state to submit their resignations.

The Chief Minister further said that Governor or chancellor don’t have the right to remove vice-chancellors and there is no such option in the University Act. “Supreme Court verdict against Technology University’s vice-chancellor is not applicable to all vice-chancellors. On the basis of that verdict, the Governor cannot demand other vice-chancellors on the basis of that act. Governor or Chancellor don’t have the right to remove vice-chancellors. There is no such option in the University act,” he said.

As per an order issued by the Kerala Governor- Vice-Chancellors of the University of Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi University, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kannur University, APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, University of Calicut and Thunachath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University have been asked to resign from their posts.

The Governor issued the order upholding the Supreme Court order which quashed the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University.

According to the PRO, Kerala Raj Bhavan, letters have been sent directing the Vice Chancellors of 9 Universities to tender their resignation by 11:30 am on October 24. The letters have been emailed to the VCs and registrars of the varsities concerned, the PRO, Kerala Raj Bhavan said. “Upholding the verdict of Hon’ble Supreme Court in Civil Appeal Nos.7634-7635 of 2022(@ SLP(c)Nos.21108-21109 of 2021), Hon’ble Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan has directed Vice Chancellors of 9 varsities in Kerala to tender resignation,” Raj Bhawan said in a tweet quoting PRO of Kerala Raj Bhavan.

The Raj Bhavan said Khan also directed that the resignations reach him by 11.30 am on Monday.
This comes after the Supreme Court set aside the appointment of MS Rajasree as Vice-Chancellor of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.

A bench of justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar allowed the appeal filed by Professor Sreejith P.S. challenging the Kerala High Court order dated August 2, 2021. The court noted that even as per Section 13(4) of the University Act, 2015, the Committee shall recommend unanimously a panel of not less than three suitable persons from amongst the eminent persons in the field of engineering sciences, which shall be placed before the Visitor/Chancellor.

As per the UGC Regulations also, the Visitor/Chancellor shall appoint the Vice Chancellor out of the panel of names recommended by the Search Committee. Therefore, when only one name was recommended and the panel of names was not recommended, the Chancellor had no option to consider the names of the other candidates, the top court observed.

At a recent event, Governor Khan while pointing out the issue of the VC appointment to various universities in Kerala said the Supreme Court itself had earlier made it clear that the appointment of the vice-chancellors was the responsibility of the Governor.

“Supreme Court has made it clear appointment of Vice Chancellor is the only responsibility of the Chancellor. The state government has no role in it,” he said. (ANI)