Thiruvananthapuram: The appointment of a permanent Vice Chancellor for the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, the erstwhile Kerala Technological University (KTU), is slated to be further delayed in the absence of an amendment in the relevant legislation.
Or else, the Governor will have to constitute a new search committee for the VC appointment in his own official capacity.
The UGC Rule 2018 stipulates that the search committee should include only the UGC representatives and academic experts. The Supreme Court has clarified on many occasions that no government nominee should be part of such committees.
What the KTU Act says
The Kerala Technological University Act, however, envisages the inclusion of the Chief Secretary as the government representative and a representative of the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in the search committee instead of the UGC nominee. However, the appointment of a VC to be selected by such a committee will not stand legally.
Given this context, the state government should initiate steps to exclude the chief secretary and AICTE representative from the committee and constitute a new search committee for making out the appointment. Or else, the Governor will have to constitute a search committee of his own in line with the UGC regulations.
The act pertaining to various other varsities in the state, too, stipulates the inclusion of government representatives in the search committee for selecting the VC. The selections to be made by such committees, however, will be legally invalid.
The clarity in this regard is required to be made in the appointment of VC to not just the KTU but all varsities that have included government representatives in their respective search committees for VC appointment.
Currently, Dr Ciza Thomas is the interim VC of the university.
Dr Ciza to helm engg college too
Dr Ciza Thomas, who was removed as senior joint director at the Directorate of Technical Education, today took charge as the Principal of the Government Engineering College, Barton Hill, Thiruvananthapuram. She will continue to hold the charges of the Vice-Chancellor, KTU.
Her new posting in Thiruvananthapuram itself comes after the Administrative Tribunal stayed the Government order to transfer her out of the district.
While staying her transfer order, the KAT directed the Government to appoint Dr Ciza at Thiruvananthapuram itself, considering the fact that she is due to retire on March 31. The authorities heeded, posting her as the Principal of Barton Hill Engineering College. This is in addition to her VC responsibilities.
Last year she was appointed as the KTU VC by Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan in his capacity as the chancellor of state universities while rejecting the Government’s recommendation to hand over the post to the Principal Secretary of the State Higher Education Department, Ishita Roy.