THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After keeping away from his duties as chancellor for more than a month following differences of opinion with the government, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday resumed his charge as the head of various state universities.
According to sources, the Governor has started perusing files relating to university affairs that were sent to the Raj Bhavan. On December 8, the Governor had written a strongly-worded letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressing anguish over alleged political interference in universities. Khan said he was ready to relinquish the chancellor’s post and asked the chief minister to take over the role.
Later it emerged that Khan was peeved at the University of Kerala turning down his recommendation to confer honorary DLitt degree on President Ram Nath Kovind, without convening a formal meeting of the Syndicate.
After a prolonged war of words with the government, the Chief Minister wrote four letters to the Governor explaining the government’s stance on various matters relating to universities. Pinarayi also spoke to the Governor on the phone on two occasions before leaving to the US for treatment and urged him to resume the Chancellor’s role.