Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has said that he will initiate the process to select new Vice-Chancellors immediately after the High Court disposes of the writ petitions challenging his show-cause notices to the incumbents. The governor said the new VCs will be appointed through a "fair process" and that the "academic glory" of universities would be restored. "It will ensure that nobody interferes with the functioning of the universities," he said, according to a report by The New Indian Express.
Referring to the Supreme Court's verdict on October 21 stating that the appointment of the VC of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University was contrary to the rules of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the governor said that the top court had "settled the law" with regard to the state government's claims against his intention to dismiss VCs of nine universities. “The state government may adopt any provision regarding the universities but if those provisions are repugnant to the UGC regulations, the latter will prevail,” he said, according to TNIE. This principle was reaffirmed by the High Court as well, he added.
The governor said the Kannur University vice-chancellor appears like a “habitual offender”. “More than three times the High Court had reversed his decisions. He looks like a habitual offender. The VC, an educated man, offended the law because of the instructions from the chief minister’s office. The CM wanted to appoint his persons in the university,” Khan said.
The governor, who is also the Chancellor of all state universities, said he will not get actively involved in university affairs but will only have a supervisory role. “I don’t wish to run the show. I will have a supervisory role only. Universities must be totally free so that they can win the respect and honour of the world. I want to ensure that every university is run by the VC without the interference of anybody,” he said.
These comments come even as the Kerala cabinet has cleared a bill to remove the governor from his position as the Chancellor. The bill will be introduced in the Kerala Assembly in the upcoming session.
Gov't to blame for violence in Vizhinjam: Khan
The governor blamed the government for the violence at Vizhinjam. The government is more interested in university appointments than law and order maintenance. “Unfortunately the government is not interested in running the business of the government. They are interested in running the universities because they are soft targets. You can get your relatives and cadre appointed there,” he said, according to TNIE
