Appointment of Principal; Minister's involvement clear: Minister's statement was misleading says Save University Campaign Committee

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a statement, the SAVE University Campaign Committee stated that Higher Education Minister Dr. Bindu's statement that the government did not interfere in the appointment list of Arts and Science College principals is misleading.

The interference of the minister is clear from the RTI document. According to the UGC rules, the government-appointed selection committee had initially prepared the names of 67 people but narrowed the list down to 43 on the basis that publications in journals not approved by the UGC had to be excluded. Save University Campaign Committee also alleged that even articles published in some journals of left organizations were submitted for consideration as research articles.

43 people were included in the list as there were clear guidelines of the UGC regarding the approved publications even before the UGC's care list came out. Based on the complaints of 24 people who were dismissed by the expert committee, the minister constituted a new grievance redressal committee against the rules. Instead of accepting the list of 43 persons approved by the PSC, the Administrative Tribunal has stayed the order of the minister who set up the Grievance Redressal Committee.

The Committee also pointed out that the Minister is refusing to implement the Tribunal's order so that the teachers union leaders expelled from the list approved by the PSC can be appointed as Principals now and later to the posts of Deputy Director, Additional Director, etc. according to their seniority.