THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government’s move to go ahead with the selection of a permanent Vice Chancellor in the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), through a selection panel without the nominee of the governor (chancellor) is poised to open a fresh battlefront with the Raj Bhavan.
The government’s hurried move to revive the VC appointment process is aimed at choosing an academic of its choice before the UGC Regulations 2025 - that curtails the government’s role in the VC selection process - come into effect. It was during the heights of confrontation between the government and former Governor Arif Mohammed Khan that the search committee was constituted without his nominee, in September last year.
The committee has nominees of the UGC, KVASU, the state government, State Higher Education Council and Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR). The search committee was constituted on the basis of the University Amendment Bill that altered the composition of the panel and removed the Chancellor’s nominee.
Notably, president Droupadi Murmu had withheld assent to the amendment bill that was referred to her by Khan. As per KVASU rules, the search panel should have the nominees of the Chancellor (Governor), state government, ICAR and president of the veterinary council.
The panel constituted by the government is being chaired by former Kerala University VC B Ekbal, who was nominated by KVASU’s management council.
According to a recent order from the varsity, the search committee will meet in Thiruvananthapuram on April 15 to shortlist the probables. According to sources, around 12 academics, most of them close to the ruling dispensation, have applied for the post.
Meanwhile, Raj Bhavan sources have indicated that the governor will not appoint a person selected by a panel that does not have the Chancellor’s nominee.
“As Presidential assent has been withheld for the University Amendment Bill, the constitution of the present search committee as per the Bill’s provisions is invalid. The Governor cannot appoint a person selected by a panel, the constitution of which itself is illegal,” the source said.
Following the death of veterinary student J S Siddharthan after alleged ragging at the varsity’s headquarters in Pookode last year, former Governor Khan had removed the then Vice Chancellor. At present, K S Anil, who is a professor in KVASU, is holding charge of VC.