KOCHI: The High Court has stayed the implementation of the government order to set up student grievance redressal cells in colleges and universities of the state.

Justice P. Gopinath's order came in petitions filed by the College Principals' Association and the Kerala Catholic Engineering College Managements Association against the order issued by the Higher Education Department on June 9. The single bench sought the government's stand and adjourned the petition to 26.

After the suicide of a student of Kanjirapally Amal Jyoti College, the government issued an order to set up grievance redressal cells including in self-help colleges and to set up appeal committees at the university level. Grievance Redressal Cell has ten members. Out of which five members are students and one member is PTA representative. The Chairperson, the Principal, is responsible for implementing the decisions taken by the committee on a majority basis.. Majority members who do not have adequate knowledge of the College's administration, admission of students, examination, disciplinary proceedings etc. are likely to oppose the decisions of the Principal. Grievance Redressal Cell consists of professors and senior faculty members as per UGC regulation. The petition states that the new committee proposed by the government will not legally exist beyond this.