Governor reappoints Dr Mohanan Kunnummal as Vice Chancellor of Kerala University of Health Sciences

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor Arif Muhammad Khan has reappointed Dr Mohanan Kunnummal as the Vice Chancellor (VC) of Kerala University of Health Sciences. The reappointment, issued in exercise of powers under Section 10(5) of the University Rules, extends his tenure for a period of five years or until he reaches the age of 70.

Dr. Kunnummal’s initial term is set to expire this Saturday, but the Governor’s order ensures that he will continue in office. The decision follows the withdrawal of the search committee constituted by the Governor on October 5 to find a new VC.

Mohanan Kunnummal, who has held the position since October 2022, is now one of the few to be reappointed to the role of Vice Chancellor in Kerala. His case mirrors that of Dr Gopinath Ravindran, the Vice Chancellor of Kannur University, whose reappointment was upheld by the Supreme Court, though the state government's intervention in the matter was deemed illegal and the appointment was ultimately cancelled.

He was first appointed VC of Kerala University of Health Sciences in October 2019. A native of Azheekode, Kannur, he is an alumnus of Thiruvananthapuram Model School, the Government Arts College and Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, where he served as chairman of the college union.

An accomplished academic, Dr Kunnummal has 25 years of experience as a professor and Head of the Department of Radiology at Thrissur Medical College, where he also served as the college principal. He was honored with the government’s Best Doctor Award in 2016. Additionally, he is the only Malayali to serve as President of the National Association of Radiologists and also presides over the Association of Health University Vice Chancellors in India. He is a member of the National Medical Commission.

Dr Kunnummal's family is steeped in the medical profession. His wife, Dr Parvathi, was a professor of pediatrics at Thrissur Medical College and their daughter, Dr Durga Mohan, serves as a doctor in the Indian Army.