A section of Syndicate members from the University of Kerala has come out in defence of the body’s decision to recommend the promotion of Assistant Professor S Naseeb, who is also a pro-Left Syndicate member, to the post of Associate Professor, as per a report by The New Indian Express.
Their statement comes after Kerala Governor and Chancellor of the university, Rajendra Arlekar, annulled the decision earlier this week, citing violations of University Grants Commission (UGC) norms.
In a joint statement, 14 Syndicate members, most affiliated with the Left, claimed the university had acted in accordance with UGC regulations, which allow valid contract service to be counted toward promotion eligibility. They added that the decision to allow Naseeb to apply was based on directions from the Kerala High Court.
"The Syndicate had only decided to inform the High Court that Naseeb’s application for promotion can be considered, based on earlier court rulings and the report of the academic committee," the statement read.
The members further alleged that the Vice-Chancellor bypassed the Syndicate and unilaterally referred the matter to the Governor, added TNIE.
The Chancellor, however, held that Naseeb had included his tenure as a temporary lecturer, over a year-long period, while calculating his total service, even though he was paid less than a regular faculty member during that period. This, according to the Governor, violates UGC norms.
Emphasising the need to adhere strictly to regulatory guidelines, Governor Arlekar stated that the Syndicate had no authority to relax or override UGC provisions. Citing Section 7(3) of the Kerala University Act, he said he was well within his rights to nullify the Syndicate’s decision.
