Governor Arif Mohammed Khan as Chancellor of universities on Thursday invalidated the appointments of the Vice-Chancellors of Calicut University and Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit M.K. Jayaraj and M.V. Narayanan respectively.
The move comes around two weeks after Mr. Khan conducted hearings for four Vice-Chancellors, including the duo who have been removed from their positions.
Suspense continues over the fate of Saji Gopinath, Vice-Chancellor of Digital University Kerala, and P.M. Mubarak Pasha of Sree Narayanan Guru Open University, with the University Grants Commission (UGC) seeking two weeks to provide a clarification on “the application of regulations on the appointment of the first Vice-Chancellors and the point of time from which they would apply”.
The Chancellor has not accepted a resignation letter submitted by Prof. Pasha thus far.
Citing a Supreme Court order that had set aside the appointment of former Vice-Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University M.S. Rajasree, Raj Bhavan directed Prof. Jayaraj and Prof. Narayanan to vacate the positions citing that their appointments were found to be “not in terms with UGC regulations”.
“Therefore, it (the appointments) has to be treated as void ab initio in light of the law laid down by the Supreme Court,” the order read.
Mr. Khan found Prof. Narayanan to have been the sole name to have been proposed by the search-cum-selection committee for appointment as Vice-Chancellor. This contravened the requirement for a panel of short-listed candidates.
Moreover, the Chancellor also found fault with the nomination of State Planning Board Vice-Chairperson V.K. Ramachandran by the government as convener of the selection committee.
Despite Prof. Ramachandran having taught in a number of institutes, including the Indian Statistical Institute, Raj Bhavan contended that he could not have been considered a “person of eminence in the sphere of higher education”, a criterion for the selection committee members.
“Eminence in the field of education as stated in UGC regulations must be understood as the relevant time and not during the past,” it maintained.
In the case of Prof. Jayaraj, the selection panel included the then Chief Secretary and thereby, violated the UGC regulations.
The two academics will have 10 days to challenge the orders in the Kerala High Court. The orders passed by the Chancellor will come into effect only after the period, the court had earlier ruled while considering an appeal filed by the Vice-Chancellors against show-cause notices served by the Chancellor.
