Principals are not appointed in govt colleges as those known to her were not included in PSC list, opposition leader attacks higher education minister

KOTTAYAM: Opposition leader V D Satheesan came forward with allegations that the minister for higher education is sabotaging the appointment of principals in government colleges in the state.

There are no principals in 66 government colleges for years. As per higher education department rules to fill the vacancy, a list of 43 principals was made and the PSC had approved it also. However, the opposition leader criticized that since none of her own members were included in the merit list, the minister of higher education intervened illegally and formed an appellate committee and did not appoint those who were included in that list.

As the appointment did not happen, she made her own people in-charge principals. The higher education minister who illegally intervened to overturn the list is not qualified to sit in that post. The higher education minister who abused her power should resign. Satheesan demanded the minister to resign immediately in the context of the details of her interference in the appointment came to light.

According to the Right to Information Act, documents confirming the allegation made by the opposition on May 17 that the minister was illegally interfering in the appointment of the principal, surfaced. The minister has ruined the higher education sector by retaining the in-charges without appointing the principals. The minister was also the in-charge principal when she was a teacher.

There are no vice chancellors in nine universities of the state. Realizing that they cannot appoint their own people as VCs, the government has placed in-charges. There has never been a situation where there are no VCs in nine universities in the state. Even if the process for appointment of VC starts now, it will take six months to complete. The government has destroyed the credibility of the universities in Kerala after the marks and research controversies. The opposition leader also criticized the higher education minister as having the main responsibility.