Kerala Ministers Meet Governor to Discuss VC Appointments at Technical Universities

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Law Minister P Rajeev and Higher Education Minister R Bindu met with Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Wednesday to discuss the selection process for vice-chancellors (VCs) at two technical universities in the state. The meeting, held at the Governor’s official residence, Lok Bhavan, was in response to a recent Supreme Court order directing both the Kerala government and the Chancellor to reach a consensus on these appointments.

The discussion centered on the appointment of VCs for APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and the University of Digital Sciences, Innovation, and Technology.

After the meeting, Minister Rajeev confirmed that the discussions were held in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive, but refrained from sharing further details. "The discussion was conducted as per the Supreme Court's direction, and the government is committed to proceeding with consensus with the Chancellor," Rajeev said.

Rajeev also clarified that, according to the Supreme Court ruling, the Chief Minister holds the authority to prioritize the selection of candidates for the VC positions. He added that if any disagreement arises between the government and the Chancellor, it can be brought to the court’s attention, in line with the court’s instructions.

The meeting follows a public accusation by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who had accused the Governor of disregarding the Supreme Court’s directive on VC appointments. Pinarayi Vijayan had questioned how Arlekar, in his role as Chancellor, could bypass the court's instruction that VC nominees must come from a list provided by the Chief Minister.

Earlier, the Governor approached the Supreme Court, requesting that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan be excluded from the selection process, arguing that neither university provided for a role for the Chief Minister in the VC appointments. The state government informed the court that the Governor was attempting to push candidates aligned with Sangh Parivar ideological interests into university leadership positions.

In response to these concerns, the Supreme Court appointed former Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia to lead the Search Committee and ensure a neutral and transparent selection process. The Search Committee's recommended list of candidates was first submitted to the Chief Minister and then forwarded to the Governor, but no action was taken for more than three months.

On November 28th, during the hearing, the Supreme Court expressed its disapproval of the Governor’s actions, particularly his decision to ignore the Sudhanshu Dhulia committee’s report on the selection process. The court also warned that it would intervene to resolve the issue if the Kerala government and the Governor failed to reach an agreement.