THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Left-affiliated members of the Kerala University Syndicate are set to train their guns on Vice Chancellor Dr Mohanan Kunnummal after Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s nomination of four students to the varsity Senate, in his capacity as chancellor, turned controversial.
The High Court had recently stayed the governors’ nominations on a petition filed by the students who were not chosen. The Syndicate members alleged that the situation arose because the Vice Chancellor did not give a comprehensive list of students having outstanding academic ability in humanities and science and outstanding ability in sports and fine arts to the governor for selection.
A meeting of the Syndicate scheduled on Thursday is likely to be stormy on this account. Syndicate member J S Shijukhan has reportedly given a letter to the vice chancellor demanding that the issue should be discussed in detail at the meeting.
Sources said the vice chancellor may come under flak from the Syndicate for the fiasco. According to sources, the varsity registrar had prepared a list that had only eight names though there were scores of students who had excelled in academics, sports, and fine arts.
The Raj Bhavan reportedly asked the varsity to re-examine the list on October 15. It is learned that a final list was not submitted, paving the way for the governor to go ahead with his nominations. The CPM had alleged that the governor’s nominees were pro-right wing.
Meanwhile, the convening of the Syndicate meeting on Thursday has also come under a cloud as there are only six nominated CPM members at present in the 26-member panel. Elections to other seats in the Syndicate have not been held yet.
It is learned that attempts will be made to manage a quorum of nine members by asking three ex-officio members, who do not usually attend the Syndicate meetings, to be present.