Controversial provision in law amendment bill: VC should not announce university election results; powers being curtailed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Controversial amendment with provision for the removal of the power to announce the results of elections to university committees from the Vice-Chancellor.

The VC's authority to announce the results of the elections to the Senate, Syndicate, Academic Council and University Union is being transferred to the Registrar. The Vice-Chancellor is fulfilling this duty as the chairman of the Senate and the Syndicate. The bill will be introduced in the Assembly on Monday.

Vice-chancellor Dr Mohanan Kunnummal was not ready to announce the results as the records of the Kerala University Union elections were destroyed. SFI had built a shed at the university headquarters and staged a protest. The amendment to the law is in the backdrop of this.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor will have the power to regulate the academic decisions taken by the temporary committees. Currently, this power is with the VC. There is also an amendment that allows the syndicate to appoint people with ten years of teaching experience as PVCs. Even if the bill is passed by the assembly, it will become law only if the Governor signs it. In 1991, when K Karunakaran was the Chief Minister, there was an attempt to amend the law to give the government the power to inspect the files of universities. The move failed due to protests over the loss of autonomy.