Kerala HC Cancels Appointment of KUFOS VC, Says UGC Norms Not Followed
New Delhi: The Kerala high court on Monday cancelled the appointment of the Vice Chancellor of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), saying that he was appointed in violation of University Grant Commission (UGC) norms.
A bench of Chief Justice S. Manikumar and Justice Shaji P. Chaly said regulations of the UGC that mandate that a list of three or more candidates be forwarded to the chancellor for appointment was not followed in the case of Dr K. Riji John being appointed as VC of KUFOS.
The court also said that the chancellor may initiate the process of forming a search committee to select a new VC and added that, henceforth, the selection of VC should strictly follow the UGC norms.
The order came on two pleas challenging the appointment of John. The detailed high court order is not yet available.
The order follows Governor Arif Mohammed Khan's recent action seeking John's resignation on the same grounds after the Supreme Court had held that according to UGC norms, the search committee constituted by the state should have recommended a panel of not less than three suitable people.
Khan had, thereafter, sent a show cause notice to John asking why he should be allowed to continue as VC in view of the apex court ruling which came while setting aside the appointment of the VC of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University on the ground that it was in violation of UGC norms.
The governor had similarly sought the resignations of 10 VCs across Kerala on October 21. Last week, the high court had granted interim relief to the VCs while asking the governor to file a response.
According to the Indian Express, the selection committee that appointed John was chaired by Kerala State Planning Board vice-chairman V.K. Ramachandran, who was the government’s nominee. It also included former pro-vice-chancellor of Kerala University J. Prabhash and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) deputy director general (fisheries science) J.K. Jena as the nominees of the KUFOS governing council and the ICAR director general, respectively.
John was reportedly unanimously nominated for the post, based out of a shortlist of nine candidates.
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