E.K. Satheesh, Registrar, University of Calicut, has said that no official discussions have been held or decisions taken at the Syndicate meeting on September 5 to confer honorary doctorates on anyone.
This was after media reports suggested that the university is examining a proposal to confer the honour on Vellappally Natesan, general secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, and Sunni leader Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar.
The proposal was reportedly presented as a resolution by a Syndicate member during the meeting. It was also reported that a section of the Syndicate members strongly opposed the move and it was forwarded to a Syndicate panel.
In a release, Mr. Satheesh said on Wednesday that DLitt was not being given just based on the resolution moved by one of the Syndicate members. There is a Syndicate committee headed by P. Vijayaraghavan before which nominations are presented.
Later, they are submitted before the Syndicate, which takes a final call on them. The Syndicate decision will have to be passed at a Senate meeting with two-third majority to make it official.
One of the members of the committee said the resolution on Mr. Natesan and the Musliyar were yet to be placed before it.
Meanwhile, Left Democratic Front (LDF)-aligned Syndicate members said in a release that the United Democratic Front (UDF) was spreading misinformation with political motives on the issue.
The attempt was to trigger controversies at a time when the university was awaiting a visit by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. The personal opinion of a pro-Congress Syndicate member was blown out of proportion to give a wrong message, they added.
