Kerala High Court comes down hard on Kannur University VC for abuse of power

Kannur University's Vice-Chancellor was in for some criticism from the Kerala High Court on Tuesday, October 11. The High Court set aside the VC's order granting administrative sanction for the affiliation of a self-financing Arts and Science College in Kasaragod. 

Remarking that the VC had acted in excess of his power, Justice Devan Ramachandran allowed the petition filed by the Self-Financing Arts and Science College Management Welfare Association, challenging the VC's decision. The college in question was founded by the TKC Education and Charitable Society at Padanna in Kasaragod, according to a report by TNIE.

The court observed that when the college authorities said that there was no space for the college and when there were other drawbacks noticed in the application submitted by the society for affiliation, the VC should not have approved it. 

The petitioner pleaded that the institution had only three acres of land, out of which two acres was paddy land. The inspection team insisted on other applicants owning a permanent building, and this condition was waived in the case of the TKC Education and Charitable Society, reported TNIE. Then, the government also issued a No Objection Certificate for the affiliation of the college, based on the decision taken by the Vice-Chancellor. The High Court has now directed the university syndicate to consider the application of the society for affiliation.