Arif Mohammed Khan, the governor of Kerala, made the decision to ask the vice-chancellors (VCs) of nine universities in the state to resign on Sunday. The CPI(M), the party in power, criticised the move as an “attempt to appoint RSS members” as the heads of universities, while the Congress-led UDF opposition applauded it. The leader of the opposition in the state parliament, V D Satheesan, hailed the Governor’s most recent decision as Chancellor of the state’s universities as “belated,” while CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan called it “unheard of” and one of many such similar choices.
Speaking to reporters here, Govindan said there was no doubt that the call for the resignation of the nine VCs was part of a plan to use the Governor for appointing those close to or in the RSS at the helm of the varsities through the back door. “It is a political agenda and will be countered by the state of Kerala,” he said.
He stated that the situation has reached “a level of crazy” and that the Governor has the capacity and authority to make certain decisions, but they must be made in accordance with the Constitution. On the other side, Satheesan claimed that the Governor has now conceded what the opposition has long argued: that the rules of the University Grants Commission were broken when selecting vice chancellors for the state’s universities. He said that such unlawful appointments were occurring when the governor and the state administration were cooperating in a Facebook post. He added, “We applaud the fact that the Governor is finally prepared to make good on his error, even though it’s late.
The Governor’s “unilateral” action, according to Kerala’s higher education minister R Bindu, was a “deliberate and purposeful effort” to cause issues in the southern state’s higher education system. She informed the media that the state administration would need to take the decision seriously since it was incorrect and a sign that the nation was succumbing to fascist elements. Bindu warned that she might face repercussions for her remarks, but she couldn’t help but note that no other Governor of the state had ever faced a similar circumstance.
“It’s a depressing situation. The government is being tried to be chained or controlled, “She asserted. According to State Law Minister P Rajeeve, it was an “exceptional” decision, and as universities are independent organisations, they can decide what steps need to be taken. Khan requested the resignations of the VCs of nine universities in the state by Monday morning 11.30 AM, citing a recent Supreme Court decision that invalidated the appointment of the vice-chancellor (VC) of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University here for violating UGC criteria.
