Kerala High Court’s Division Bench cancelled today, November 14, the appointment of the Vice Chancellor of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies. The appointment of Dr K. Riji John is balanced as it did not comply with the UGC regulations. The reasons are various. Here are the most significant of them:
* VC did not have ten years of teaching experience. Added the three years spent on the research to the total experience to make it 10
* All three members of the Search Committee were not competent.
* Riji John was the only candidate on the panel for an appointment.
* HC did not permit any temporary stay to the cancellation order.
* Government of Kerala (GoK) had argued that since agricultural studies come under the State List of the Constitution, UGC rules are not applicable for KUFOS. HC rejected it.
Dr K.K. Vijayan, the petitioner, was short-listed for the names to be considered for the VC’s position.
Riji Jon is one of the Kerala VCs who served with the Governor’s Show Cause Notice—a few days before Kerala HC had cancelled the Dr M.S. Rajashree’s appointment as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University under the same grounds.
