Rosalind George, the Vice-Chancellor in-charge of the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos), will retire on Tuesday even as the State government has not responded to the university’s plea to allow her to be in office till the month-end.
Ms. George was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor in-charge seven months ago, following the removal of her husband K. Riji John from the post of Vice Chancellor by a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court. An appeal by Mr. John against the High Court decision is pending before the Supreme Court.
Incidentally, the university had earlier sought the views of the State government on allowing its officials to continue in office till the end of the month in which they superannuate against stepping down on the previous day of their 60th birthday.
The Kerala Governor, who is the Chancellor of the University, is yet to appoint a person to hold the charge of Vice-Chancellor.
With the State government and the Governor at loggerheads on a host of issues, especially on issues related to the higher education sector, the possibility of a consensus candidate being identified for the post is remote. The Governor might appoint a person of his choice as the Vice Chancellor in-charge, said university sources.
The appointment of Ciza Thomas as the Vice-Chancellor in-charge of the Kerala Technical University by the Governor following the removal of M.S. Rajasree as the Vice Chancellor by the Supreme Court had escalated the friction between the government and the Governor. The government went on to challenge her appointment in the High Court. However, the State government appeared to have accepted the Governor’s choice of Ms. George after the removal of her husband from the post.
Neither the Governor nor the State government has formally sought the list of professors, who have put in 10 years of service, to be considered for the post. Devika Pillai, the Director of Research, is the only teaching faculty from the university, who has put in the required period of service, according to university officials. Kufos was awaiting instructions from the Governor regarding the successor of Ms. George, they added.
