The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : High Court dismisses Arunkumar’s plea

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Friday, Jul 03, 2009
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Kerala - Kochi

High Court dismisses Arunkumar’s plea

Cancellation of his Ph.D. registration

Certificate did not
say he was a
college teacher
It also failed to
show his teaching
experience

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday dismissed a writ petition filed by V.A. Arunkumar, Principal in-charge and Joint Director of the Institute of Human Resource Development (IHRD), challenging the order of the University of Kerala cancelling his registration for Ph.D. The petition was dismissed by Justice S. Siri Jagan.

Mr. Arunkumar, son of Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, was granted registration for Ph.D. in November 2006 after exempting him from the regulations regarding the Ph.D. admission.

As per the regulations, the admission should be based on an entrance examination. However, college/ university teachers with seven years of teaching experience were exempted from this. Mr. Arunkumar was granted exemption on the basis of certificates that said he had been in the service of the IHRD under various academic responsibilities, including teaching, from January 1997.

As there were allegations that he had been unduly favoured, the Syndicate Research Committee conducted an inquiry. The allegation that he did not have any teaching experience was found to be true by the committee. Therefore, it recommended cancellation of the registration. His registration was cancelled after the Vice-Chancellor accepted the recommendation and the Syndicate approved it in 2007.

Mr. Arunkumar contended that the show cause notice was issued to him after the university took a decision to cancel his registration. Alleging violation of the principle of natural justice, he submitted that having granted registration, it was not open to the committee and the Syndicate to alter or review the decision later.

The court observed that the certificates produced by him did not say that he was a college teacher or university teacher. Nor did it say that he had seven years’ teaching experience. The court dismissed his contention that the decision of the university was politically motivated and mala fide.

The court also said the question whether the petitioner had satisfied the academic standards for the Ph.D. registration was purely an academic matter and the university being the expert in such matters, the court would not be justified in interfering with the decision, which was supported by cogent reasons based on adequate material.

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