Governor Bypasses Chief Minister, Pushes Sisa Thomas and Priya Chandran for University Vice-Chancellor Posts

New Delhi: In a controversial move, Governor Rajendra Arlekar has bypassed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s recommendations for permanent vice- chancellors, backing Sisa Thomas for the Technical University and Priya Chandran for the Digital University. The Governor has also filed a response in the Supreme Court, challenging the Chief Minister’s nominations of Dr. Saji Gopinathan and Dr. G Satheesh Kumar.

The Supreme Court has clarified that the Chief Minister holds the final authority in recommending vice-chancellors, and the Governor cannot alter the list. The court is now expected to take the final decision, with the case scheduled for Friday.

The shortlist prepared by the Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia committee had initially proposed Dr. Satheesh Kumar and Dr. G R Bindu for the Technical University, and Dr. Saji Gopinathan and Dr. M S Rajashree for the Digital University. Sisa Thomas and Priya Chandran were ranked fifth and fourth, respectively.

The Governor justified his intervention by claiming the Chief Minister’s choices were "improper' and that Thomas and Chandran were overlooked. However, the Chief Minister’s file points to concerns over Sisa Thomas’s tenure as interim Vice Chancellor, noting that he had withdrawn from Syndicate meetings and disrupted university administration, raising questions about her suitability.

The episode underscores the intensifying tussle between the state government and the Governor’s office, raising concerns over political interference in higher education and the increasing role of BJP -backed interventions in university administration.