Higher Education Minister R. Bindu said the State government did not intend to curtail the powers of the Chancellor through the University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022, that was tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday.
The amendment to the existing university laws was aimed at improving the selection process of Vice Chancellors to State universities, she said. The Bill was referred to the Subject Committee following a discussion that lasted nearly an hour.
Dr. Bindu, who piloted the proposed legislation, said the Chancellor would remain the appointing authority of both the search-cum-selection committee as well as the Vice Chancellor who would be chosen from the panel submitted by the committee.
The Bill seeks to enhance the appointment age of Vice Chancellors to 65 years and increase the strength of the selection committee to five (from the existing three). The panel will include vice-chairman of the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) and a nominee of the State government in addition to the existing members.
The Chancellor will be required to appoint one person from a panel, comprising three candidates, that has been recommended by a majority of the committee members in the absence of a unanimous choice.
K.T. Jaleel (Independent), a former Higher Education Minister, cited instances in which various States, including Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, had decided to bring the appointment of Vice Chancellors under the purview of the State governments. As many as 19 States had endorsed the recommendations made by the Punchhi Commission on Centre-State relations that had advocated stripping Governors of Chancellorship.
He alleged that the Raj Bhavan was being used to bring Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) supporters to key posts in universities.
P.C. Vishnunath (Congress) said the legislation would not stand legal scrutiny and the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations will prevail in the case of Vice Chancellor appointments. He accused the government of preparing the ground for backdoor appointments and nepotism by appointing its supporters as Vice Chancellors.
Governor defiant
Governor Arif Mohammed Khan remained defiant in his initial reaction towards the tabling of the Bill.
“The Legislative Assembly has full right to pass laws, but the Governor’s duties also exist. You can be certain that I will not allow a kind of selection where Vice Chancellors can be used to appoint relatives of those who are in power. Whatever Bill is passed, I will not allow the erosion of the autonomy of the universities and Vice Chancellors being used to appoint close relatives,” he told media persons upon his arrival in the State capital from New Delhi.
He faulted the changes that had been proposed to the composition of the search committee. “The vice-chairman of the KSHEC, who is mandated with only interacting with the universities, has been proposed to be made convener. Such things cannot escape my attention,” the Governor said.
