THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Agricultural Production Commissioner B Ashok has been given full additional charge of vice-chancellor of Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) till a regular appointment is made to the post.
Agriculture Minister P Prasad, who is the pro-chancellor of the university, issued the order after Governor Arif Mohammed Khan (Chancellor) “delegated the powers” to him.
The order said the governor has ‘delegated his powers as chancellor’ and ‘authorised the pro-chancellor to perform the functions of the chancellor’ under Section 26 (3) of the Kerala Agricultural University Act, 1972. It was based on the delegated powers that the minister gave additional responsibility to Ashok.
Ashok, the order said, would hold the additional charge till a regular appointment is made to the post through a prescribed selection process. Arya K, who was holding charge of the varsity's VC retired on February 28.
Ashok, a 1998 batch IAS officer, was the statutorily appointed the first VC of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Wayanad, and served as professor and registrar of Chinmaya Vishwa Vidyapeeth Deemed University.
The order said he was ‘fully qualified and eligible’ to hold the VC post. Based on the government’s recommendation, the charge of KAU VC was earlier given to former Agricultural Production Commissioner Ishita Roy but the move had courted controversy. The VC charge was then handed over to Arya, chief of the Plant Breeding and Genetics department of the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, who had served as a professor for over 10 years.
SETBACK TO GOVT’S PLAN TO CORNER KTU VC
Thiruvananthapuram: In a relief to APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) Vice-Chancellor Ciza Thomas, who was removed from the post of senior joint director in the Directorate of Technical Education, the Kerala Administrative Tribunal has ruled that she should be accommodated in a suitable post in Thiruvananthapuram. Ciza had approached KAT after the government removed her from the post on Tuesday and put her new appointment on hold.
This was seen as a move to eventually transfer her to a far-away district so that she finds it difficult to carry out the duties of KTU VC entrusted by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan in his capacity as Chancellor. Ciza, who is set to retire on March 31, was given VC charge last November while serving as senior joint director in DTE. This was against the government's wishes that recommended the higher education department secretary to the post. From the day she assumed office, Ciza faced opposition from pro-LDF staff unions in the varsity.