Central University of Kerala: HC stays ex-Tamil Nadu ABVP president's appointment as associate professor

Kasargod: The Kerala High Court has stayed the appointment of former ABVP Tamil Nadu state president as the associate professor in the Social Work department at Central University of Kerala. The high court was hearing a petition filed by the Central University Kerala assistant professor, Laxmi Kundar.

Former Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) leader and assistant professor of Indra Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh M Nagalingam; vice chancellor of Central University of Kerala H Venkateshwarlu, registrar Muralidharan Nambiar were the respondent to the petition. “No appointment in this case shall be made until the court gives its verdict,” Justice Ramachandran said.

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A candidate requires to have 8 years of experience, equivalent to assistant professor as per the UGC regulation 2018, with 7 publications in UGC listed journal/peer reviewed journals, to be appointed as associate professor. However, Nagalingam who worked at Amarkantak Tribal University Madhya Pradesh (IGNTU) has only 5 years of experience. He then worked at Amrita University in Coimbatore, but was not under the UGC pay scale.

The Kerala High Court's intervention comes in the backdrop of widespread allegations of corruption, nepotism and political interest in central university appointments.

For associate professor at Department of Social Work at Central University of Kerala, there were only three candidates shortlisted. The third candidate Sony Kunjappan, who has around 12 years of experience and publications as per the UGC eligibility have not even been kept in the waiting list. Sony Kunjappan, had also been shortlisted for associate professor at the Department of Public Administration and Policy Studies at CUK.

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But, the candidate who had been selected for the post, Durga Rao, hails from a Telugu-speaking state and has not yet produced his original PhD certificate. The waiting-list candidate is also from one of the Telugu states. It is worth mentioning that two of the experts and the VC of Central University of Kerala are also from Telugu states. The other shortlisted candidates were all having teaching experiences and publications more than the selected and wait-listed candidates for associate professor at Department of Public Administration and Policy studies.