Kerala Raj Bhavan wrote to the Higher Education department on Tuesday seeking clarification regarding the prospective candidates who could officiate as Vice Chancellor (V-C) in-charge of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) in place of the incumbent Ciza Thomas who is set to retire from service March 31.
Digital University of Kerala (DUK) V-C Saji Gopinath is among those in contention for the responsibility. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had earlier rejected the government’s proposal to provide Dr. Gopinath the additional task of helming KTU after citing alleged violation of the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms in his appointment as DUK V-C.
The government had also submitted a panel of three senior professors to replace Dr. Thomas against the backdrop of a Kerala High Court order that upheld the government’s authority to recommend qualified candidates for temporary appointment as V-C. The list comprising Director of Technical Education (DTE) in-charge T.P. Byjubai, DTE joint director Vrinda V. Nair and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology Principal C. Sathish Kumar has, however, been kept on the back burner for over a month.
Raj Bhavan has now directed the government to submit a final proposal for consideration. Sources point out that letting Dr. Thomas continue as KTU V-C after her retirement from government service could pave the way for litigation. She had superannuated when she turned 56 on March 15.
The Governor recently gave Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) V-C Sabu Thomas additional charge of the Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University. Notably, both Dr. Sabu Thomas and Dr. Gopinath are among those V-Cs who had been served show-cause notices by the Governor who questioned their appointments.
The recent turn of events is being interpreted by various quarters as a sign of the Governor backing down from his confrontation with the State government. The successive setbacks faced by Raj Bhavan in the High Court has fuelled such speculations.
The Governor has summoned Raj Bhavan legal advisor S. Gopakumaran Nair on April 2 to discuss the future course of action in view of the “unfavourable verdicts.”
