Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s extraordinary decision to seek the resignations of nine Vice Chancellors drew a sharp response from the government on Sunday. Higher Education Minister R. Bindu pulled no punches when she termed the move the latest example of fascist forces attempting to take over the country. Slamming the ‘unilateral’ decision of the Governor, Dr. Bindu said it was a conscious attempt to scuttle the higher education sector and disrupt the smooth functioning of the government.
“He (the Governor) can only function within the bounds of the Constitution. The decision to leave all universities headless in a single stroke without ascertaining the facts is condemnable. Such diktats that are issued without consulting the government cannot be accepted,” she said.
‘No longer silent’
In a veiled reference to the Governor’s threat to “withdraw pleasure” against Ministers, Dr. Bindu said her criticism might prompt Mr. Khan to sack her, “but, we can no longer afford to remain silent.”
Hinting at the possibility of universities adopting legal measures in the issue, Law Minister P. Rajeeve accused the Governor of attempting to supplant the democratic administration in universities with an autocratic form of governance.
‘No legal ground’
Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) vice chairman Rajan Gurukkal said the Governor’s ‘suo motu orders’ are not in conformity with any of the provisions of the Acts of the State universities or the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations. “There is no legal ground for him to initiate such a terminal action. Neither the UGC regulations nor the State Acts of the universities empower him to adopt such a move. Once appointed, a Vice Chancellor’s removal is possible only on the ground of moral turpitude or embezzlement. The inquiry report of a sitting judge is an essential prerequisite in such cases,” Prof. Gurukkal pointed out.
Mr. Khan issued the marching orders to the Vice Chancellors of Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi (MG) and Calicut Universities, Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos), Kannur University, APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU), Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, and Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University.
What the order says
In its order, Raj Bhavan pointed out the Vice Chancellors of Kerala, MG, Kannur and Sanskrit universities, Kufos, and KTU, V.P. Mahadevan Pillai, Sabu Thomas, Gopinath Ravindran, M.V. Narayanan, K. Riji John and M.S. Rajasree, were appointed after the search committee had unanimously recommended them and had not submitted a panel of three to five candidates to the Chancellor.
Besides, the search committees that recommended seven Vice Chancellors, including K.N. Madhusoodanan, M.K. Jayaraj, and V. Anil Kumar of Cusat, Calicut and Malayalam universities respectively, included the then Chief Secretaries in violation of the UGC guidelines.
Raj Bhavan also claimed the government had ‘accepted’ the Supreme Court verdict (on the appointment of the KTU Vice Chancellor) and recommended Digital University Kerala Vice Chancellor Saji Gopinath to the post of the KTU Vice Chancellor in a letter sent by the Higher Education Department on Saturday.
VC’s stance
Declaring his refusal to tender resignation, Prof. Ravindran said the Governor could terminate his service if he chose to. He added that the Governor was empowered to dismiss Vice Chancellors, but the power was subject to conditions. Such decisions would lead to an administrative impasse in universities, Prof. Ravindran cautioned.
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