The controversy over the reappointment of Gopinath Ravindran as Vice Chancellor of Kannur University has reared its head yet again with Governor Arif Mohammed Khan holding the State government as responsible for the move.
Raj Bhavan on Thursday issued a statement to refute reports that the controversial appointment was done at his bidding.
The clarification has come a day ahead of the Lok Ayukta set to deliver its verdict on a petition by Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala who has accused Higher Education Minister R. Bindu of misuse of power, nepotism and corruption by seeking the reappointment of Prof. Ravindran.
Raj Bhavan stand
Raj Bhavan maintained that the process of selecting a Vice Chancellor which was set in motion through a notification issued on October 27 last had come to an end following requests made by the Higher Education Minister, Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister R. Mohan and Legal Advisor to the Chief Minister K.K. Raveendranath.
Duly supported by the legal opinion of the Advocate General, Kerala, it culminated in the reappointment, it said.
The statement noted that Mr. Raveendranath “as deputed by the Chief Minister” met the Governor at Raj Bhavan on November 21 and conveyed the government’s desire to reappoint Prof. Ravindran.
“The Governor, who had a different view on the matter, informed him that the proposal appeared legally untenable since the due process of selection was already in motion. On this, the legal advisor informed that the government has examined the matter in detail and that the request was legally sound to withstand any legal scrutiny.”
Legal opinion
While he had then produced some unsigned papers as legal advice, Mr. Mohan produced the signed legal opinion of the Advocate General the next day.
The eight-page opinion that had been addressed to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Higher Education Department endorsed the request made earlier by the Legal Advisor. The note maintained there was no legal bar in reappointing Prof. Ravindran and that the age bar of 60 years fixed in the Kannur University Act is inapplicable.
Besides, Dr. Bindu had on November 22 sent a letter in which she highlighted Prof. Ravindran’s capabilities and desirability to be appointed for another term as the Vice Chancellor.
“In this letter, she had clearly requested the Hon’ble Chancellor to be “pleased to cancel the notification dated 27.10.2021 appointing a Search-Cum-Selection Committee for identifying the person to be appointed as Vice Chancellor”.
She also requested the “Hon’ble Chancellor’s pleasure in cancelling the notification dated 01.11.2021 and in re-appointing Dr. Gopinath Ravindran for a continuous second term as Vice Chancellor of Kannur University”, the Raj Bhavan statement said.
Raj Bhavan had issued notification for the reappointment on November 23, a day after the Minister sent another letter to inform the steps taken to withdraw the notification that had been issued to invite applications to the post. “The argument in news reports that the Minister had only proposed a name in response to the Governor’s letter is far from the truth,” the statement read.
