THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : In a blow to the state government’s efforts to curtail the governor’s powers in university matters, President Droupadi Murmu withheld assent to three Bills, including the one seeking to divest the governor from the post of chancellor of state varsities. For all intents and purposes, the Bills have reached a dead end, said experts.
Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had sent seven Bills to the President last November after the state government moved the Supreme Court alleging inordinate delay by him in clearing the pieces of legislation. In a press release on Thursday, the Raj Bhavan said the President has “withheld assent” to the Bills divesting governor from the chancellor post; expanding search committee for vice-chancellor appointments and effecting changes within the technological university.
While the President has given assent to the Kerala Lokayukta Amendment Bill, 2022, a decisions on other three Bills is awaited, the Raj Bhavan said.
No nod
The Kerala University Laws [Amendment No.2] [Divesting Governor from the position of Chancellor of Universities] Bill, 2022, was passed to keep the governor’s powers under check in state varsities. It enabled the government to appoint academicians or “persons of eminence” in various fields of knowledge as chancellors in various universities.
University Law Amendment Bill, 2022 (Expansion of search committee for the appointment of VC) proposed expanding the three-member search committee to a five member panel. Along with nominees of the chancellor and the university, a nominee of the government and the state higher education council were also included. The move aimed at ensuring the government greater leverage in VC selection.
A bill dealing with the appellate tribunal and other amendments to Technological University, was the third legislation denied assent.