Kannur University has issued appointment order to Priya Varghese, wife of Chief Minister’s private secretary K.K. Ragesh, as Associate Professor in the Malayalam department.
The appointment order has been issued following a judgment of a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court and the legal advice given by the Advocate General and standing counsel of the university. The order states that Ms. Varghese should join the job within 15 days.
The Division Bench had quashed a single Bench order that Ms. Varghese did not have sufficient qualifications and that her appointment should be reconsidered.
One of the major issues discussed in Ms. Varghese’s appointment was whether a teacher’s PhD period and deputation could be considered as teaching experience.
The High Court had held that research being part of various projects for students, it should not be excluded from teaching experience.
But the University Grants Commission (UGC) has stated that it will file an appeal in the Supreme Court against her appointment. It may also demand an immediate stay of the High Court verdict.
