University appointments row: Governor hits out at Kerala government, says his hands are tied

University appointments row: Governor hits out at Kerala government, says his hands are tied

Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said Kerala would be bereft of higher education going by the present state of affairs.

Published: 11th December 2021 12:55 PM 

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan. 

By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after Governor Arif Mohammed Khan's letter to the Kerala government expressing his willingness to relinquish the post of Chancellor became public, the Governor hit out openly against the ruling dispensation for its illegal interference in university affairs.

Speaking to the reporters in Delhi on Saturday, the Governor said attempts were being made to tie his hands in university affairs. Terming political interference in institutions of higher learning as intolerable, the Governor expressed his anguish over the government ignoring his repeated warnings against favouritism in university appointments.

Khan said he had tried his best to cooperate with the government for the smooth functioning of universities but the cooperation was not reciprocated. The post of Chancellor has been given to the Governor to ensure transparency in the functioning of universities. However the Chancellor is not able to function freely, he said. Khan said it was in this context that he wrote to the Chief Minister urging him to take up the post.

The Governor said the state would be bereft of higher education going by the present state of affairs. He said instances of illegal appointments in universities were pointed out many times by his office but no action was taken by the government. Such an attitude is unacceptable, he said.

The Governor pointed out that the government recommending a single name to the post of Vice Chancellor in Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit constituted a gross violation of existing regulations. If a selection committee had shortlisted probables as per norms, then the most suitable person could have been selected judiciously, he said. Khan warned of serious consequences in the higher education sector if the present situation continues.