THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ciza Thomas, who was given the charge of Vice Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan assumed office on Friday amid huge protests by students' and employees' organisations affiliated to the ruling CPM.
Ciza, who is the Senior Joint Director in the Directorate of Technical Education, was assigned the additional responsibility on Thursday after incumbent Vice Chancellor MS Rajasree stepped down following a Supreme Court verdict.
Students Federation of India (SFI) workers and university employees affiliated to Kerala Gazetted Officers' Association (KGOA) blocked Ciza when she reached the KTU headquarters to assume charge.
The protests were held as the Governor had rejected the nominees of the government and appointed an academic of his choice to hold the temporary charge of the Vice Chancellor's post.
Ciza was escorted to the Vice Chancellor's office amid sloganeering by protesters. No senior officials of the university, including the Registrar, were present when Cica arrived to assume charge. Later, she submitted a joining report at the Registrar's office.
Speaking to reporters, Ciza said the protests were on expected lines. "Since the employees are also protesting, I need to take them into confidence as we have to work as a team. The responsibility has been temporarily assigned to me and I intend to fulfil it till a new Vice Chancellor assumes charge," Cica said.
She hoped that the students would withdraw from the strike once policies beneficial to them are implemented. Ciza, who did her B.Tech and M.Tech from the College of Engineering, Trivandrum and PhD from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, has seven years' experience as a Professor and over three years of administrative experience.
She assumed the post of Senior Joint Director in DTE in 2019 and also Director-in charge of DTE for three months.
According to the KTU Act, the Chancellor (Governor) may appoint the Vice Chancellor of any other university or the Pro Vice Chancellor of KTU or the Higher Education Secretary to the post, on the recommendations of the government, when it becomes vacant before the expiry of the incumbent VC's term.
The government had first recommended that Digital University Vice Chancellor Saji Gopinath be given charge but the Governor turned down the proposal as he was also among the VCs served show cause notice by the Raj Bhavan.
Later, the government proposed Higher Education Secretary Ishita Roy to the post but it was also rejected by the Governor on the grounds that she was overburdened with many responsibilities including that of Vice Chancellor in-charge of Kerala Agricultural University.