THRISSUR: The Kerala High Court has passed a stay order until further judgment in a case related to the appointment of assistant professors at Sree Kerala Varma College here, which was approved by Calicut University, allegedly in violation of UGC norms. The stay order was passed after the university submitted in its reply approving the order for the appointments on March 13, 2017. The court has further directed the university to retotal the score as per the UGC norms of 2010, which were violated in the appointments, Abdul Hakkim, who is arguing the case for petitioner Unnikrishnan Thekkeppat, said.
‘Express’ had earlier revealed how the selection to the post of assistant professors in the statistics department of the college was carried out in violation of the UGC norms of 2010. Despite, there being a Supreme Court and Kerala High Court Division Bench order norms should be strictly followed, the university Vice-Chancellor and the college principal told ‘Express’ the selections were carried out based on the past UGC norms. Unnikrishnan, who is now working as a village extension officer with Choondal grama panchayat, had challenged the appointment with sufficient evidence, indicating that the marks were allotted to the selected candidates, by not just overlooking the norms, but also to help them get the job.
He said despite all the qualifications and eligibility for the post, illegalities, and nepotism were glaring from the records by the pattern of awarding highest marks to the selected candidates and lowest marks to him in the interview and pedagogical skills. Unnikrishnan said the Calicut University Syndicate had resolved to approve the report of the Syndicate Sub-Committee and sanction was given by the Vice-Chancellor to implement the Syndicate resolution and to approve the appointments of the selected candidates with effect from March 8, 2016, subject to the final verdict of the court.