In Kerala, Calicut University's Syndicate has courted controversy by allegedly denying the post of the Head of the Department (HoD) in the Russian and Comparative Literature department to a faculty member who is a woman and belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) category. The university rules state that the role of the Head of the Department can be given to the senior-most assistant professor in the department in the absence of an associate professor or professor in the department, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
The senior-most assistant professor K Divya in the department of Russian and Comparative Literature applied for the HoD post on these grounds. In a bid to scuttle Divya’s chances, the Syndicate placed a condition. The condition stated that in case an Assistant Professor is appointed as HoD, they should have five years of teaching experience.
A whistleblowers' group named the Save University Campaign Committee (SUCC) alleged that the Syndicate decided to appoint the HoD for the department with a faculty member from another department. They also claimed that the move was at the behest of a LDF-backed Syndicate member. The Syndicate also asked applicant K Divya to submit an explanation as to why she did not apply for the post of the HoD through a proper channel. The SUCC has now taken up the issue with Arif Mohammed Khan, Governor of Kerala, who is also the Chancellor of the university. The matter has also been taken to the SC/ST Welfare Minister of Kerala K Radhakrishnan, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
The sources at the university said that there is no validity for the five-year experience norm by the Syndicate unless the statutes of the varsity are amended. A top university official told The New Indian Express, “The five year experience clause for Assistant Professors applying for HoD post as well as the explanation sought from the faculty member would be reviewed in the next Syndicate meeting.”
