Malayalam Varsity VC: Govt to constitute Search Committee

Arif Mohammad Khan | File Photo: J SURESH / Manorama
As per the existing law, the Governor, who is the appointing authority, has to form the Committee. Photo: J Suresh/Manorama.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Government has initiated the process to constitute a five-member Search Committee for the appointment of Vice-Chancellor to the Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University based on the University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which has not been signed by the Governor yet.

The Higher Education Department Principal Secretary has written to the Governor’s Principal Secretary seeking the Governor’s nominee to the Committee.

The Government’s latest move comes at a time when Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has started the process to appoint the VC at the Malayalam Varsity as per the existing rules. Raj Bhavan has written to the University Grants Commission (UGC) seeking a nominee to form the Search Committee.

The current move by the Government is based on the provisions in the Bill to raise the number of members in the Search Committee, even before passing the Bill on removing the Governor from the Chancellor’s position.

As per the existing law, the Governor who is the appointing authority has to form the Committee. The letter from the Government says the Committee will include nominees from the UGC, the Government, the Higher Education Council and the Syndicate, besides the Governor’s nominee.

As reported earlier the Governor has refused to sign the Bill that seeks to remove the Governor from the post of chancellor of State universities.

He has sought the opinion of the UGC on the legality of the Bill passed by the Kerala Assembly, and whether such a law would run counter to the UGC’s norms.

In December the Kerala legislature passed the University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022, that seeks to amend eight Acts relating to different universities in order to remove Governor as the ex-officio Chancellor of universities in the state and appoint eminent academicians in the top post.

The drastic legislative bid was resorted to in the wake of tense ties between Khan and the Pinarayi Vijayan Government over a slew of issues, including those on university affairs.

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.