The candidates shortlisted for the post of Vice Chancellor of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) have been asked to appear before the search committee for a ‘conversation’ on September 11.
The Hindu has reliably learnt that the search committee that includes Tom Jose, Chief Secretary; V. K. Ramachandran, vice chairman, State Planning Board, and B. S. Sonde, former Vice Chancellor of Goa University had met on September 3 at Thiruvananthapuram to prepare either a panel of eligible candidates or a single candidate based on consensus. However, it could not arrive at a final decision.
Higher Education Department officials said the candidates are to appear before the panel at a government-owned hotel in Thiruvananthapuram on September 11. Four candidates are expected to appear before the committee, though the officials declined to divulge their names.
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Asked if there has been a precedence to ask the shortlisted candidates to appear for a conversation with the search committee, the officials said there has been nothing in the rules that suggests a methodology. It is up to the search committee to decide the methodology. This is a practice in all national universities, they said.
The search panel forwards its decision to Governor P. Sathasivam, who is also the Chancellor of the university, to take a final call on the appointment.