THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s decision, to allow Sreenarayana Guru Open University (SGOU) vice-chancellor in-charge V P Jagathy Raj to continue in the post after his retirement as professor, while denying the same benefit to Prof Bijoy Nandan, former V-C in-charge of Kannur University, has been widely criticised in academic circles as ‘discriminatory’.
The Acts of both universities mention the upper age limit for appointment of a regular vice-chancellor as 60 years. But the Acts do not mention anything regarding the tenure of a V-C in charge. Both Jagathy Raj and Bijoy were given V-C positions a few months before attaining their retirement age of 60 years as professors. They were asked to discharge duties of the vice-chancellor in addition to their current roles as professors.
Jagathy Raj, then a senior professor and former director of the School of Management Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), was appointed the V-C in charge of SGOU in March, just two months before his retirement on May 31. Interestingly, on Jagathy Raj’s retirement day as professor, the Raj Bhavan issued a notification permitting his continuance in the V-C post.
According to a source with the Raj Bhavan, the decision was taken on the basis of a formal request from Jagathy Raj seeking an extension of his tenure. “The chancellor, being the competent authority in the matter of V-C appointments, decided to allow Jagathy Raj to continue,” said the source.
Bijoy, who was then a professor in Department of Marine Biology, Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), was given the V-C charge in Kannur University in December last year. This was after the Supreme Court annulled the reappointment of Gopinath Ravindran as Kannur University V-C. The Governor has had a bitter fight with Raveendran and members of the varsity’s apex bodies over a series of issues.
However, on the very day of Bijoy’s retirement as professor on May 31, the Raj Bhavan issued a notification announcing a new vice-chancellor in-charge for Kannur University. Prof Bijoy was reportedly kept in the dark about the move till the last moment.
Notably, Bijoy had also requested the Governor to allow him to continue in office, a few months before reaching the retirement age of 60 years, but the request was kept in abeyance.