Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], August 9 (ANI): Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan is planning to initiate action against the Vice-Chancellor of Kannur University in the state in connection with the appointment of Priya Varghese, as an associate professor in the university, sources related to Raj Bhavan said.
Priya Varghese is the wife of KK Ragesh, who is a Private Secretary of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The Governor sought an explanation from Vice-chancellor after the Save University campaign filed a complaint with him stating that the UGC rules were flouted during her appointment. The complaint said that she doesn’t have the necessary years of teaching experience to be appointed for the post.
Seeking an explanation into the matter, the governor has given 10-days time to the VC of the university.
Meanwhile, the Government has extended the deputation period of Priya Varghese for one year. At present, she is working as deputy director of Kerala Basha Institute.
Varghese was an assistant professor in Kerala Varma College in Thrissur and was working at Basha Institute on deputation as deputy director.
Now, the government has extended her term in the said institute for one year.
Earlier in 2021, a letter from Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu was out which recommended the reappointment of Dr Gopinath Ravindran (former VC of the university) as its Vice-Chancellor.
In the letter dated November 22, 2021, to the Governor, she had recommended Dr Gopinath
Ravindran may be allowed to continue for another term as Vice-Chancellor and to cancel the notification dated October 27 this year appointing a Search-cum-Selection committee for identifying the person to be appointed as Vice-Chancellor.
In another letter dated November 22, 2021, the higher education minister mentioned that steps have been taken to withdraw the notification inviting applications to select a Vice Chancellor for Kannur University, after which Bindu welcomed the verdict of the Lokayukta to reappointment Ravindran as the university’s vice-chancellor.
The minister had said, “Lokayukta pronounced its verdict and it is very positive. All the allegations raised by the opposition leader proved baseless. I welcome the order.”
“For the last two months they have been attacking me on this issue and all those allegations proved to be baseless. I am not ready to pass any comment on the governor’s activities regarding this. Because I wanted to have a cordial relationship with the governor. So I am not giving any comment on the statement made by the governor at present,” she added.
However, the High Court of Kerala as well as the Supreme Court of India dismissed a writ petition, holding that the impugned appointment violated no statutory provisions in the “reappointment” of the man concerned as the Vice-Chancellor. (ANI)
