Thiruvananthapuram: The administration of the Kerala Technical University (KTU) has come to a standstill after the higher officials and a section of the varsity's employees have refused to handover files to the new Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Sisa Thomas.
Sisa replaced Dr M S Rajashree, who had to step down as VC following the Supreme Court verdict that her appointment violated the norms of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The government's replacement recommendation, Ishita Roy IAS, who is also the secretary of the Higher Education Department, was also found unqualified to serve as VC as per UGC norms. Subsequently, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan gave the temporary charge to Sisa, a senior professor at the State Technical Education Department and joint director of Technical Education.
Since Sisa took charge as VC, a section of the varsity's employees and students have been protesting in front of her office.
Students' applications for their degree certificates lie accumulated in the exam controller's office because the registrar refuses to provide the VC with the facility to digitally sign the certificates.
Now, students who have submitted their applications on a fast-track basis by paying additional fees will have to wait longer than expected to get their certificate.
It is also learnt that the process of signing new certificates is taking time as the 500 certificates that were already signed by the outgoing VC need to be cancelled.
Many candidates who are looking to go abroad are concerned about getting their certificate on time. The varsity is yet to publish even the evaluation results.
The High Court on Wednesday will consider the state government's petition challenging the Chancellor's appointment of Sisa as temporary VC, with both the Governor and Sisa as opposite parties.
