The governor had last week asked the vice chancellors of nine universities in Kerala to step down. (file)
Thiruvananthapuram:
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Tuesday issued show-cause notices to two more vice chancellors (VCs) as chancellors of universities in the state, asking what legal right they have to hold office as their appointments were allegedly in accordance with UGC norms. is infringement.
Khan issued show cause notices to the vice-chancellors of Sree Narayanaguru Open University and Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology.
The show-cause notice came in the wake of the governor last week asking vice-chancellors of nine other Kerala universities to step down from their respective offices.
After the vice-chancellors did not send their resignations by 11.30 am on Monday as demanded by Khan, they had issued a show-cause notice to them seeking their response by November 3 as to what legal authority they have to continue in their respective offices after the Supreme Court. . October 21 order
A similar notice has now been sent to Dr. PM Mubarak Pasha, Vice Chancellor of Sree Narayanaguru Open University and Dr. Saji Gopinath, VC, Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology, seeking their response by November 4.
“Notice to show cause to the VCs of Sree Narayanaguru Open University and Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology, on/before 04.11.2022 till 5 PM, their legal right to hold the post of VC and their appointment as ‘illegal’ And not to declare ‘nil’. ab initio’: PRO, KeralaRaj Bhavan,” tweeted Raj Bhavan.
The notice sent to Pasha said that in view of the apex court’s decision “it is prima facie found that your appointment as VC of Sree Narayanaguru Open University is contrary to the rules of UGC and as such is mala fide/illegal in law and void ab initio”.
The apex court had on October 21 quashed the appointment of the VC of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, observing that as per the University Grants Commission (UGC), the search committee constituted by the state has to recommend a panel of at least three suitable people. was needed. to the Chancellor from among eminent people in the field of engineering sciences, but instead it sent only one name.
Based on that order, Khan had sought the resignation of the vice-chancellors, whose names were only recommended for appointment as well as those who were selected by a committee consisting of the chief secretary of the state as members, both in violation of UGC norms. Told. ,
In Pasha’s case, the show cause notice states that his appointment was made on the basis of the recommendation of the state government and not by the search/selection committee prescribed in the UGC rules.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)