THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A special meeting of the Kerala University senate will be convened on October 11 in the wake of Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s’ ultimatum to the varsity to choose a nominee of the Senate to the three-member panel to select a new vice-chancellor.
Vice-Chancellor V P Mahadevan Pillai’s decision to convene the meeting came after the Governor issued an ultimatum to him to provide the Senate nominee by October 11. According to university rules, a notice of 10 days needs to be given to senate members before convening a meeting of the varsity’s decision-making body. The registrar reportedly issued the notice dated October 1. Only election of the senate nominee to the search cum selection committee has been listed in the agenda.
The senate had, on July 15, chosen planning board vice-chairman V K Ramachandran as its nominee but he did not take up the task. Sources said that it left-affiliated senate members do not nominate a member due to political reasons, the vice-chancellor will have to accept the nominee recommended by the UDF members. The vice-chancellor’s term ends on October 24.
As per the rules, the search cum selection committee should have nominees of the chancellor (governor), the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the varsity senate. Khan had constituted the panel with the first two members on August 5 and asked the varsity to propose its nominee in due course.