Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan Forms Committees to Select University Vice-Chancellors
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), June 29: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has defended his decision to form search committees for selecting Vice-Chancellors (V-Cs) for six state-run universities without their nominees. He stated that his actions are in line with court orders and due to the universities’ willful omission.
Governor Khan explained, “Since last year, there has been willful omission on the part of the university authorities, despite repeated reminders. If they are not doing their duty, they should not stop me from doing mine.”
The Governor, who also serves as Chancellor of the universities, noted that the decision-making bodies, mainly comprising LDF-backed members, had refused to nominate their representatives. This decision aims to ensure a transparent and merit-based selection process.
The universities involved are:
- Kerala University
- Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU)
- Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS)
- APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU)
- Kerala Agricultural University (KAU)
- Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University
ISRO Chairman S. Somanath will serve as the Convener of the Committee for Kerala University, joined by Prof Battu Satyanarayana and a nominee of the UGC and the Chancellor. Other committees include notable figures like KRS Sambasiva Rao, Prof. Sanjeev Jain, and Dr. Jancy James.
The Vice Chancellor positions became vacant following the Supreme Court’s annulment of M S Rajasree’s appointment as the Vice Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University.
