Governor refuses to back down; instructs VC to give representative for Search Committee

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Refusing to back down in the ongoing stand-off, the Governor, Arif Mohammad Khan, has sent a written instruction to the Kerala University Vice Chancellor, VP Mahadevan Pillai to decide on the representative of the Senate to be included in the Search Committee. The tenure of Mahadevan Pillai will end on 24th October.

Earlier, the Governor had formed a Search Committee without the representative of the Senate. If the Senate representative is not announced, then the Governor will move forward with the official notification for the new Vice Chancellor. As the Governor has given a written instruction, the Vice Chancellor has no other option but to call a special Senate meeting.

The Governor had formed the Search Committee by inducting Director of IIT, Kozhikode, Prof. Debashis Chattergee, as the representative of the Chancellor and the VC of Karnataka Central University, Battu Sathyanarayanan as the representative of the UGC.

On 15th June, the Senate had convened a meeting and made Vice President of the Planning Board, Prof. VK Ramachandran as the representative of the Senate. However, Ramachandran left the post before the University Bill was tabled in the Assembly.

The Kerala University Vice Chancellor had written to the Governor that more time is needed to convey another meeting to decide on the representative. However, on 5th August, the Governor formed the Search Committee while leaving the post of Senate’s representative vacant.

Under the new amendment, the representative of the Syndicate and not the Senate is included. However, as the Governor has not signed the amendment bill, the representative of the Senate must be included.

If the Governor releases the notification for a new Vice Chancellor, the Search Committee can begin accepting applications and give the panel for the appointment.

The Kerala University Senate had earlier passed a resolution that the Search Committee formed by the Governor is not legal.