Tussle between Kerala Governor and LDF govt over appointing VCs continues
Universities like MG University, CUSAT, Malayalam, Fisheries, and Agriculture are also without permanent VCs. Bills to change the search committee composition and the governor's role as the chancellor were passed by the Assembly, however they are pending at the Raj Bhavan.
FollowThiruvananthapuram: It's been a year since the University of Kerala has been functioning without a permanent Vice-Chancellor (VC). The reason is an ongoing dispute between the government and the governor, which has affected seven universities, including Kerala University, leaving them without VCs. The bills related to university administration are waiting for the governor's consent; however, no progress has been made due to this conflict.
Dr. Mohan Kunnummal is currently holding the position of Vice-Chancellor at Health University. Kerala University has been waiting for a permanent VC for over a year. The university was at the center of the dispute between the Governor and the government. With VC Mahadevan Pillai's term coming to an end, the governor has set up a search committee to appoint a new VC, including representatives of the Governor and the University Grants Commission (UGC), however the university has not provided its representative.
In the meantime, the government introduced the University Act Bill to change the three-member search committee to a five-member one. However, the Governor has not yet signed this bill passed by the Legislature. As a result, the University of Kerala is now under temporary administration. Universities like MG University, CUSAT, Malayalam, Fisheries, and Agriculture are also without permanent VCs. Bills to change the search committee composition and the governor's role as the chancellor were passed by the Assembly, however they are pending at the Raj Bhavan.
With the government and the governor unable to reach a compromise, universities are left without permanent VCs. The government considered taking the matter to the Supreme Court, however no decision has been made in that regard either.
