The University of Kerala has disqualified 39 students of affiliated colleges from contesting in university union elections after they have been found to have violated the eligibility criteria.
The Syndicate decision follows a scrutiny of the university union councillors’ list conducted in the wake of an impersonation row at Christian College, Kattakada, involving its former Principal and an unelected Students Federation of India (SFI) student activist.
The controversy had pushed the government and the Higher Education department on the defensive with the Opposition citing the irregularity as another ‘example’ of illegal attempts to capture positions of authority.
Lyngdoh committee
The Syndicate, which met on Saturday under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor in-charge Mohanan Kunnummal, decided to fine Christian College nearly ₹1.55 lakh to recover the expense that was incurred by the university for postponing the polls.
After the controversy broke out, the university had directed each of its 180-odd affiliated colleges to furnish details of the college union elections. The subsequent inquiry revealed that several colleges had failed to meet the guidelines recommended by the Lyngdoh vommittee for university elections. Among those excluded from the candidates’ list, many have exceeded the age limit to contest the polls. There were also cases in which the nominees were in the fray despite having graduated, sources said.
The Syndicate also decided to cancel the degree certificates issued to 37 graduates who had cleared the BSc Computer Science examination after benefiting from an unauthorised alteration of moderated marks in 2019. Some of those who received certificates are working abroad.
While the university had dismissed a section officer after the irregularity came to light, it faced criticism for its delay in cancelling the issued certificates. The marks of nearly 600 students had undergone changes by way of the alleged wrongdoing.
The meeting resolved to issue charge memos to two senior officials for purportedly refusing to grant maternity leave to an employee until she appeared in person. The officials, a deputy registrar and an assistant registrar, have been given a week to respond to the charges, failing which disciplinary action will be initiated against them. Their names have also been removed from the list of those who were in line for promotion.
