Kerala governor issues show cause notice to vice-chancellors of two universities

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, as Chancellor of Universities in the state, on Tuesday issued a show cause notice to the Vice Chancellor of Sreenarayanaguru Open University and Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology asking what legal right they have to hold the office as their appointment was allegedly in violation of UGC norms.

The show cause notice comes in the wake of Khan, last week, asking the VCs of nine other Kerala universities to quit their respective offices. After the VCs did not send their resignations by 11.30 AM on Monday as sought by Khan, he had issued show cause notices to them seeking their response by November 3 on what legal right they have to continue in their respective offices following the Supreme Court order of October 21.

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A similar notice has now been sent to Dr P M Mubarak Pasha, the VC of Sreenarayanaguru Open University, seeking his response by November 4. In the notice, it is said that in view of the apex court judgement "it is prima facie found that your appointment as the VC of Sreenarayanaguru Open University is contrary to the UGC Regulations and as such is bad in law / illegal and void ab initio".

Notice issued to VCs of Sreenarayanaguru Open University & Kerala Univ. of Digital Sciences,Innovation&Technology to show cause,by 5pm on/before 04.11.2022 ,their legal right to hold Office of VC & not to declare their appointment'illegal & void ab initio':PRO, KeralaRajBhavan pic.twitter.com/gzkamJCd3J

— Kerala Governor (@KeralaGovernor) October 25, 2022

The top court on October 21 had quashed the appointment of the VC of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University saying that as per the University Grants Commission (UGC), the search committee constituted by the state should have recommended a panel of not less than three suitable people among eminent people in the field of engineering science to the chancellor but, instead it sent only one name.

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Based on that order, Khan had called for resignations of VCs whose names were the only ones recommended for appointment and also those who were selected by a committee of which the Chief Secretary of the state was a member, terming both as a violation of UGC regulations. In the case of Pasha, the show cause notice states that he was appointed on the basis of the recommendation by the state government and not by a search/selection committee as prescribed in the UGC regulations.