THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Education Minister C Raveendranath’s scheduled address at Tuesday’s programme to confer Calicut University’s honorary doctorate on visiting Sharjah ruler Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammed Al Qasimi violates the varsity’s statutes, it has emerged.
The varsity is slated to confer the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters on Al Qasimi at the Raj Bhavan on Tuesday. As per the programme schedule, Pinarayi and Raveendranath will address the gathering after conferment of the degree and the acceptance speech by Al Qasimi. However, as per Clause 19 of Chapter 31 of Calicut University statutes, the convocation has to be dissolved after the acceptance address by the recipient. The proposed address by the Chief Minister as well as the pro-chancellor (Education Minister) are in violation of the statute.
Sources said the convocation, especially for a foreign dignitary, should be conducted in strict adherence to the procedure and protocol which are listed in detail in Chapter 31 of the Calicut University statutes. The programme schedule constitutes a strong deviation from procedure which is tantamount to statute violation and hence may result in a worthless exercise if challenged, they said.
“Any degree, whether earned or conferred, becomes valid only if it is awarded as per the provisions of the statute,” said R S Sasikumar, convener of the Higher Education Protection Council.Sasikumar has written to Governor P Sathasivam, who is the Chancellor of state universities, to ensure the convocation is conducted in strict adherence to the statute.Sources also said the Chief Minister’s presence at the event to confer degree on the Sharjah ruler, skipping protocol, has been planned with an eye on the upcoming Vengara Assembly bypoll.