Governor-KU Senate Row: Worried About Students’ Future, Says HC



KOCHI: The row between the Kerala University senate and the Chancellor, over the nomination to the selection committee to choose the new vice chancellor, will spread and would affect the reputation of the university if not controlled now, the Kerala High Court said on Wednesday. Governor Arif Mohammad Khan is the Chancellor.
Considering petitions challenging the Chancellor’s decision to remove the senate members, justice Devan Ramachandran said the row is continuing as nobody else other than the parties involved is interested. This is the time for everyone to get involved so as to find a solution, the court said while exhorting all the stakeholders not to damage the reputation of a university that has been performing well until now.
The university cannot go forward without a vice-chancellor, as he or she has a lot of responsibilities related to the day-to-day affairs, the court pointed out. Stating that the present row is deplorable, the court said the appointment of the vice-chancellor should not be delayed further by invoking technicalities and controversies. The court added that it is not worried about the persons involved or the controversies involved but about the future of the students and the university.
At an earlier hearing, the court had asked whether a decision on the nomination could be taken in the senate meeting on November 4 . On Wednesday, the university had informed that a decision on the nomination can only be taken after the senate conducts a meeting and decide on the existing legal issues.