For Kerala Chief Minister, A Court Setback Amid Row With Governor
NDTV
The high court struck down the appointment of Dr Riji John as vice-chancellor of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies.
The Kerala High Court today cancelled the state government's appointment of a vice-chancellor at a state university -- a huge setback for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan amid his government's ongoing spat with Governor Arif Mohammad Khan over the functioning of universities.
The high court struck down the appointment of Dr Riji John as vice-chancellor of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies. The court termed the appointment illegal, saying that guidelines laid down by the University Grants Commission (UGC) were violated in the process. The UGC is a statutory body under the Education Ministry that oversees the functioning of higher education institutions across the country.
The court directed the Chancellor of universities, a post currently held by Governor Khan, to appoint a new vice-chancellor in line with UGC guidelines. The move comes after the Governor last month asked vice-chancellors of nine universities, including Dr John, to step down, flagging alleged violation of UGC norms in their appointments.
The Governor's move came after a Supreme Court order cancelled the appointment of the vice-chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University in Kerala.
