The University of Kerala is unlikely to heed Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s direction to nominate a member to the search-cum-selection committee meant to identify the next Vice-Chancellor.
The university has received legal advice telling the institution to refrain from taking any immediate decision at a time when it is a party in multiple cases that are currently being heard by the Kerala High Court.
For one, the court stayed the Governor’s nomination of four students to the Senate. The university is also a respondent in a petition filed by economist Mary George, who sought the court’s direction in expediting the process of Vice-Chancellor appointments in nine universities in the State.
The Registrar had sought legal advice on the basis of a direction issued by Vice-Chancellor in-charge Mohanan Kunnummal. It remains to be seen if Prof. Kunnummal will accept the recommendation.
Since Oct. 2022
The vexed issue of appointing the next Vice-Chancellor is likely to drag on with Raj Bhavan and the University of Kerala adopting divergent stances. The university had no permanent V-C since October 2022.
The university had earlier passed a resolution against the Governor’s “unilateral and undemocratic” decision to constitute the selection committee without the senate’s nominee. Raj Bhavan had then broken convention to notify the committee with its representative and that of the University Grants Commission, while leaving the position for the senate’s nominee vacant.
Mr. Khan had accused the university authorities of stalling the process at the behest of the State government until the Bills passed by the Assembly to alter the composition of the selection committee and to remove the Governor as Chancellor of universities were assented.
