Approval for new college: Action of Kannur VC is questionable, says HC

KOCHI: The High Court found prima facie suspicious the steps taken by the VC of Kannur University to grant permission to TKC Education and Charitable Society to start a new self-financing Arts and Science College at Padanna in Kasaragod. Justice Devan Ramachandran said this while considering a petition filed by the Sharaf Arts and Science College Committee against the move to grant permission to start a self-supporting college despite not having enough land.

As per the UGC norms, five acres of land are required to start the new college. However, details regarding the land were not specified in the application submitted by the TKC society. Following this, the university wrote twice to the society to rectify the deficiencies in the application. The society then replied that they own four and a half acres of land and can add one acre of a member of the society. It also sought three months for registration. Intervening in this, the VC directed the registrar to hand over the reply to the syndicate and appoint a two-member committee to inspect the college. The High Court held that the VC gave the direction regarding an application that was incomplete and invalid as there was insufficient land. The action of the VC who gave such instructions on an incomplete application is questionable. When the Syndicate considered the matter of this college on June 27, the college had not received the government's NOC. The single bench said that the syndicate would have given affiliation to the college if it had received the NOC.

The last time when the court considered the petition, it had sought an explanation from the university and not the VC. But now, the single bench ordered that the VC and the registrar should give an affidavit regarding the steps taken to grant permission to the college. The order also says to produce the letters sent by the registrar on February 5 and March 26 to the TKC college authorities, their reply letter, the order approved by the VC, the report issued by the inspection team, the minutes of the syndicate meeting, etc. The court will hear the petition again on September 28.