Thiruvananthapuram: In a dramatically rising battle that has been developing for days, Kerala’s Left-led government voted today to remove Governor Arif Mohammad Khan from his position as chancellor of universities. The Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s cabinet decided to introduce an ordinance or special order to oust the Governor from office. After asking the vice chancellors of the state’s nine institutions to resign, Mr. Khan made this decision a few days later.
All of the vice chancellors filed lawsuits against the governor’s directive with the High Court. The state government’s action is the most recent in a battle with the governor over how universities operate, including the choice of vice chancellors. The Governor would be replaced as chancellor of the state’s institutions by knowledgeable academics, according to Kerala’s Minister for Higher Education, R Bindu.
The Supreme Court fired Dr. Rajasree MS as vice chancellor of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) in Thiruvananthapuram in October, claiming a breach of university regulations. The Vice Chancellor can be chosen by the Chancellor from a list of nominees submitted by an official committee, according the regulations.
Only one name was suggested by the administration, though. There was no list of names, according to the Supreme Court, therefore the Chancellor ‘had no other alternative’ before him. The Vice Chancellor in Charge was then nominated by the Governor to be Ciza Thomas. The appointment mandated by the Governor was to be held, as the state administration had asked the High Court to do. It was rejected by the court yesterday.
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