THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Governor, who rejected the government's letter asking for the Chancellor's representative in the search committee to appoint the VC of the Malayalam University, is now setting up search committees on his own for the appointment of VCs of Malayalam CUSAT and MG Universities. UGC representative has been immediately allowed to all three committees. The representative of the senate will be later included in these search committees that will be formed by including the representative of the chancellor. The governor was hitting back at the government for trying to form a search committee for the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of the Malayalam University as per the bill which he did not sign.

Karnataka Central University VC Prof Battu Satyanarayana (Malayalam), Mizoram University former VC Prof KRS Sambasiva Rao (MG), English and Foreign Languages ​​University VC Prof E Suresh Kumar (CUSAT) are the UGC representatives.

The governor points out that the chancellor has the power to form the search committee. However, for the appointment of teachers in universities, the search committee is constituted by the Vice Chancellor with the approval of the Syndicate. As per law, no person connected with the varsity should be on the search committee for the appointment of VC. While Malayalam VC Dr Anil Vallathol will complete his term in February, CUSAT VC KN Madhusoodanan will complete his term in April. The term of MG Vice Chancellor Prof Sabu Thomas is set to end in May.

Likely to lead to legal battles
1. The governor and the government forming their own search committees will lead to legal battles. While the government will argue that the search committee cannot be formed without a representative of the university, the governor will take the stand that he will not provide a representative of the varsity.

2. While considering the Technological University VC appointment case, the High Court had held that the chancellor had no power under the university's rule to constitute a search committee or to nominate a representative to the committee.

3. The Supreme Court will consider the petition filed by the governor in February. The governor argued that this order usurps the chancellor's authority. The governor also pointed out that the Supreme Court had said in a case in Bengal that the state government had no role in the appointment of the VC.