THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has issued an order removing Governor Arif Mohammed Khan as Chancellor of Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed-to-be-University. Kalamandalam, founded in 1930 by renowned poet Vallathol Narayana Menon, has been functioning as a deemed-to-be university for art and culture since 2007. While the Governor is the Chancellor of the institution, the Culture Minister is its Pro-Chancellor.
According to an order from the Culture Department, the rules and regulations of the university has been amended to facilitate the appointment of an "eminent person in the field of art and culture", instead of the Governor. As per the amendment, the Chancellor will be appointed by the "sponsoring body" (state government).
The order also laid down that the governance system and management structure of Kalamandalam "shall be in accordance with the decision of the Government of Kerala. The Culture Department's order also inserted a new clause in the deemed to be the university's rules and regulations, fixing the tenure of the Chancellor. "The Chancellor shall hold office for a term of five years from the date of assuming office and shall be eligible for reappointment for one more term," it said. An age limit of 75 years has been placed for the Chancellor.
As per the amendment, the Pro-Chancellor (Culture Minister) shall exercise all the powers and perform all the functions of the Chancellor in his absence. The government was able to carry out the amendments swiftly as Kalamandalam is not functioning as per an Act enacted by the state legislature. The institution is governed by rules and regulations brought out by the state government and a Memorandum of Association in accordance with the UGC (institutions deemed to be universities) Regulations, 2019.
Earlier this week, the state government had said it will bring in an Ordinance to remove the Governor as Chancellor of state universities. The decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet on Wednesday after the confrontation between Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the LDF government reached the boiling point.
Confirming the decision, Higher Education Minister R Bindu said the Ordinance would pave the way for the appointment of "academicians of repute" as Chancellors in various universities. She said the decision was part of the government's ongoing reforms in the higher education sector. The Minister also hoped the Ordinance would get the Governor's assent.
Recently, a commission appointed by the government recommended that the Chancellor must be "a person of eminence who has distinguished herself/himself in public life through a lifetime of excellence and leadership".
The government's decision to implement the Commission's recommendation to remove the Governor as Chancellor was reportedly due to Khan's interventions in the appointment of Vice Chancellors. Recently, the Governor had asked 10 Vice Chancellors to step down after the Supreme Court ruled that appointment of a Vice Chancellor in violation of UGC regulations was "void ab-initio".