THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Armed with the Supreme Court ruling that asserted the chancellor’s free hand in running the affairs of universities, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan swiftly swung into action on Friday releasing the list of his nominees to Kerala University (KU) senate, sidelining the varsity’s recommendations.
The majority of Khan’s nominees are reportedly “pro-right wing”. The general belief is that the governor’s move as chancellor to disregard recommendations of universities, and handpick nominees to senates would end up in the ruling Left losing the upper hand it traditionally enjoys in administrative bodies of varsities.
Moreover, the Supreme Court’s observations against the state government’s “unwarranted interference” in the re-appointment of Kannur University vice chancellor has given Khan the liberty to select academics of his choice to the top post without consulting the government.
Last year, the governor had named Ciza Thomas as the v-c of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University without consulting the government. The move stirred up a hornet’s nest and resulted in a legal battle.
The High Court, while upholding Ciza’s appointment, observed that the dispute between the governor and the government was affecting the academic community. Since then, Khan had been following a path of reconciliation by appointing v-cs recommended by the government. But Thursday’s observation by the Supreme Court has prompted him to change tack.
Even as Raj Bhavan sources maintain that charge of v-c would henceforth be assigned without political considerations, senior academics are sceptical. According to A Jayakrishnan, former vice chancellor of Kerala University, the ultimate aim of such appointments should be to ensure the smooth functioning of universities.
“It should be remembered that senate and syndicate are politically charged bodies and a nominee of the chancellor, who is at loggerheads with the government, will surely face the music. We have seen such a scenario play out when Ciza Thomas assumed charge,” he said.
Bijoy Nandan Kannur Varsity VC in-charge
Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, in his capacity as Chancellor, gave the charge of Kannur University Vice Chancellor to S Bijoy Nandan, Senior Professor, Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat).
Bijoy was given the charge after the Supreme Court quashed the reappointment of Gopinath Ravindran as Vice Chancellor of the varsity. The apex court observed that there was “unwarranted interference” on the part of the state government in Ravindran’s reappointment.