Kerala govt invites applications for the post of VCs in Digital, Technological universities

The Kerala Higher Education Department on August 23 issued notifications inviting applications from vice chancellor candidates for A P J Abdul Kalam Technological University and Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology.

After the state government and the Chancellor/Governor failed to arrive at a consensus on the 'Search-cum-Selection Committee' for the appointment of VCs, with both recommending different sets of names for the committee, the Supreme Court on August 18 appointed Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, a former Judge of the Supreme Court, as the Chairperson of the Search-cum-Selection Committee. 

The chairperson was authorised to constitute separate or joint Search-cum-Selection Committees for these Universities, taking two names each from the separate lists given by the contending parties, the government and the Chancellor. The Department of Higher Education was nominated as the Nodal Department and tasked with issuing advertisements calling for VC candidates. 

It was on the basis of this August 18 order that the two notifications were issued. The candidates have been given four weeks to submit their applications. In both cases, the age limit is 61 years.

All applications will be scrutinised by the Higher Education department within one week, and then the entire set of applications will be placed before the chairperson of the Search-cum-Selection Committee. The chairperson, on his part, will get the dossier of each candidate prepared for consideration of the Search-cum-Selection Committee.

The August 18 order had given the Search Committee one month to complete the job of picking the VCs for the two universities. 

The chairperson will submit the recommendations of the Search Committee to the Chief Minister. If the CM has any reservations about the suitability of one or more candidates recommended by the Search Committee, he has to submit his objections with reasons to the Chancellor within two weeks. Otherwise, the CM can forward the names in order of preference to the Chancellor.

Upon receipt of the shortlisted names, the  Chancellor will have to appoint the VCs out of the empanelled names, "in the same order of preference as recommended by the Chief Minister." The chancellor should give his approval within two weeks. Like the CM, the chancellor, too, can put up his objections.

The objections of both the CM and the Chancellor will have to be placed before the Supreme Court. "We make it clear that a final decision in this regard shall be taken by this Court after giving reasonable opportunity of being heard to the objectors," the SC order on August 18 said.