The Kerala excessive court docket on Monday quashed the appointment of the vice-chancellor of Kerala College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (Kufos), Okay Riji John, for violating the College Grants Fee (UGC) norms.
The order comes as a setback for the state authorities which has locked horns with Governor Arif Mohammad Khan over choice of V-Cs in numerous varsities within the state.
John was amongst 11 V-Cs who have been served with show-cause notices by the Governor after the Supreme Courtroom quashed the appointment of APJ Abdul Kalam Technical College V-C M S Rajashree final month.
A division bench of Chief Justice S Mani Kumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly on Monday dominated that the structure of choice committee and its suggestions weren’t in keeping with the UGC tips making the V-C’s appointment unlawful. Although the V-C sought time to file an attraction, the court docket refused directed the chancellor (Governor) to represent a brand new search committee as per UGC norms.
The decision got here on a petition filed by two senior academics Okay Okay Vijayan and Sadasivan, who have been within the reckoning for the publish, questioning the appointment of John, citing violations of UGC norms. John was appointed because the V-C in January 2021.
The court docket discovered that search committee to pick out the V-C was not constituted in accordance with the foundations and that it did not suggest three names for the publish as per the UGC tips. The court docket agreed with the competition of the petitioners that the choice committee must submit a listing three candidates but it surely really useful the identify of John alone for the appointment.
The decision was welcomed by the BJP and the Congress. However, the CPI(M) stated the decision can be legally examined.
State finance minister Okay N Balagopal stated the order might need been particular to the process adopted in appointment of the V-C of KUFOS and might not be relevant to everybody else.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Okay Sudhakaran stated the decision was a setback to the LDF authorities which had allegedly appointed their favourites to key positions within the varsities.
Chief of Opposition within the State Meeting V D Satheesan alleged that the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Khan have been responsible for the appointments.
“They each created this downside. The Opposition stand that appointments have been in violation of UGC norms has been endorsed by each the Supreme Courtroom and Kerala HC,” he stated.
BJP state president Okay Surendran stated it was a sign that the Governor’s stand was appropriate and that of the ruling Left fallacious.
With PTI inputs