Passes resolution making it a precondition for nominating member to search committee for selecting Vice Chancellor
Passes resolution making it a precondition for nominating member to search committee for selecting Vice Chancellor
The University of Kerala Senate, on Friday, refused to budge from its stand that the Governor withdraw a notification constituting a two-member search committee for selecting the Vice Chancellor without including the Senate’s nominee.
The LDF-dominated Senate, in a special meeting, passed a resolution that it would elect a representative of the Senate to the search committee provided Governor Arif Mohammed Khan withdrew his notification.
The resolution was supported by 50 Senate members and opposed by seven. Three members abstained from voting. The UDF members termed the resolution infructuous. Fifteen Senate members who were expelled by the Governor did not take part in the meeting.
‘Against UGC norms’
The resolution said the notification was against the provisions of the Kerala University Act and regulations of the University Grants Commission, and urged the Governor to reconsider the decision.
The Senate meeting resolved to reconsider the decision taken at its special meeting held in August if the notification was withdrawn. Sixty-three members had backed the decision to call a special meeting on Friday.
Syndicate member K.H. Babujan said the notification violated Section 10(1) of the Kerala University Act, 1974, as per which the search committee should have three members. There was no provision to constitute a committee with two members and then add the Senate nominee.
‘Not political, but legal’
Mr. Babujan said the issue was not political but legal. If the Senate elected a person to the search committee based on the Governor’s notification (constituting a two-member search committee without the Senate nominee), it would invite legal action.
In August, the Senate had decided to request the Governor, who is the Chancellor of the university, to withdraw the notification, but he had not responded to it. The Governor had then convened a meeting of the Senate on October 11 for electing a member to the search committee, but as a majority of the Senate members abstained, no business could be conducted. This had prompted the Governor to withdraw 15 of the 17 nominated Senate members.
The High Court had recently criticised the Senate for passing the resolution requesting the Governor to withdraw the notification observing that it was aware that the Governor was not obligated to act on it.
