Deadlock Over V-C Appointment in Kerala Varsities: Governor, CM Resolve Differences, SC Closes Proceedings

Attorney general (AG) R. Venkataramani informed the court that Saji Gopinathan and Dr Ciza Thomas have been appointed as the V-Cs of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and the University of Digital Sciences, Innovation, and Technology, respectively.

The Wire Staff

deadlock over v c appointment in kerala varsities governor cm resolve differences sc closes proceedings

The Supreme Court of India building. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday (December 18) closed proceedings pertaining to the appointment of vice-chancellors in two Kerala universities after it was informed that the chief minister and the governor have resolved their differences over the issue.

Earlier, the tussle between the duo had resulted in the Supreme Court asking a screening committee led by a retired judge to suggest list of names for the posts of vice-chancellors in the two universities.

A Supreme Court bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan also recorded their satisfaction on Thursday after Attorney general (AG) R. Venkataramani informed the court that Saji Gopinathan and Dr Ciza Thomas have been appointed as the V-Cs of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and the University of Digital Sciences, Innovation, and Technology, respectively, reported Indian Express.

AG Venkataramani also told the court that the governor had reached out to the chief minister.

“I hope they keep talking like this, over a mug of coffee, for the larger interest of people,” said Justice Pardiwala in response.

“After our last order…there have been some positive developments. This case illustrates how a timely and decisive intervention by this court can go a long way in protecting the rights of citizens. We place our appreciation to the authorities who are parties in the matter and who, in the true spirit of the Constitution, especially Article 144, have acted in aid of the orders of this court,” noted the apex court.

Earlier, days after the Supreme Court asked a committee headed by a retired judge to suggest a list of names for the post of regular vice chancellors in two government universities in Kerala, governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on December 14 had criticised the apex court over its intervention and said that such actions amount to judicial overreach.

A prolonged deadlock between the Kerala government the state’s governor had earlier led to the apex court constituting the search committee headed by Justice (retired) Sudhanshu Dhulia to shortlist names for VC appointments.

This article went live on December nineteenth, two thousand twenty five, at twenty-three minutes past twelve at noon.

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