Thiruvananthapuram: The LDF government's plan to go ahead with the appointment of the Executive Vice-President of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), Kerala's premier science funding agency, has been called out by the Save University Campaign Committee (SUCC), considering the Model Code of Conduct was still in force. 

The interview for the post was scheduled on April 25. The appointment carries a tenure of five years. The results for the Assembly election will be out on May 4.

In a representation to the Chief Minister, the committee alleged the move to fast-track the appointment ahead of the formation of the next government raised questions of propriety. KSCSTE is headed by the Chief Minister as its president, and run by the Executive Vice-President.​
SUCC's Chairman R S Sasikumar said the notification inviting applications for the post was issued in March, and approximately 40 candidates were understood to have applied. The post fell vacant after the incumbent Prof Saji Gopinath was appointed as the vice-chancellor of the Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology (Digital University Kerala) in December 2025.​
The Executive Vice President also heads KSCSTE-run institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden & Research Institute, Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), and Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI). The Executive Vice-President also oversees major centrally funded research projects in universities and colleges.​
The Save University Campaign Committee alleged that the selection process lacks propriety, particularly in the constitution of the search and interview panel. It pointed out that State Planning Board vice-chairman V K Ramachandran was appointed head of the search committee. He was a regular presence in Vice-Chancellor selection committees, SUCC pointed out, raising concerns over neutrality.

​Also, the panel composition lacked members with a core scientific background, the whistleblower group alleged. The members included Prof Saji Gopinath, a BTech in Mechanical Engineering with PG and PhD in Management Studies, and the Higher Education Secretary, a medical doctor. SUCC argued that constituting a panel without core scientific expertise to select the head of a science and technology body was inappropriate.

The SUCC further alleged that the hurried scheduling of the interview was intended to facilitate the appointment of a candidate earlier recommended by the government for a Vice-Chancellor post, but not approved by the Governor.

SUCC chairman Sasikumar said the Governor had already withheld appointments recommended by the government to posts such as PSC members, Information Commissioner and Panchayat Ombudsman, and it would not be appropriate to go ahead with the appointment of KSCSTE Vice-President, considering a new government would be in place by May.