THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A meeting of the syndicate of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) here on Friday had to be put off due to lack of quorum. Many important academic and administrative matters that were to be decided at the meeting had to be kept aside owing to the ongoing standoff between the pro-Left Syndicate and Vice-Chancellor-in charge K Sivaprasad.
The previous meeting of the syndicate on January 16 had ended in a controversy. The vice-chancellor had walked out of the meeting after the Left-affiliated syndicate members included an item in the agenda without his concurrence. The validity of the previous syndicate meeting, which continued in the VC’s absence and took certain decisions, is under the consideration of the High Court.
A source said that MLAs and government secretaries kept away from the Syndicate meeting on the grounds that the items listed in the agenda of Friday’s meeting were “sub-judice”.
Close to 100 items in the meeting’s agenda, including development works of the proposed varsity headquarters at Vilappilsala, could not be discussed.
Amid the standoff, the budget of the varsity has also been indefinitely delayed, posing a question mark on the varsity’s spending from April 1. The finance committee has not met as part of budget preparation and the meeting of the Board of Governors, that approves the budget, has also not been convened even after the four-month period.
Meanwhile, a section of the syndicate members has objected to the continuance of two officials who were given charge of the registrar and controller of examinations by the vice-chancellor.
“As per the varsity statutes, these officials can hold charge only for a month. The decisions taken by them after that period will not have any validity,” said a syndicate member.
However, a source close to the vice-chancellor said the varsity Act stipulates that the officials can hold charge for up to six months.