LDF government, on December 7, introduced a bill in the state assembly to amend 14 University Acts to remove the state governor from the position of the Chancellor of all state universities in the state. Opposition members alleged that the Bill disrespects UGC guidelines. They demanded Attorney General should appear before the assembly and clarify the legal issue.
Cabinet had last week approved the Bill which authorizes the government to appoint independent chancellors to all 14 universities; it is for five years. Government reserves the right to remove Chancellors in case of misconduct.
Congress-led Opposition UDF said on the floor that even though they admit the power of the democratically elected government to remove the Governor as the Chancellor of the state universities. The alternative provisions included in the Bill would destroy the autonomy of the universities and bring them to the level of mere government departments. BJP said the Bill is a move to clip the Governor’s wings, who is all set to defeat the corrupt and nepotistic practices of the CPM government in the conduct of university.
The Bill says the government can appoint any academician of high repute or an eminent personality from science, including agriculture, veterinary science, technology, medicine, social sciences, humanities, literature, art, culture, law or public administration, as the Chancellor. The Chancellor can hold the office for five years from the day of assuming the office.
The other day Kerala Government appointed Mallika Sarabhai as the Vice Chancellor of Kalamandalam Kalpitha University, the university dedicated to courses in the traditional arts of Kerala. She is the blue-eyed personality of the Leftists, Congress and all sorts of Anti-Hindutwa and anti-Modi groups in the country. She is infamous for criticizing Narendra Modi and forces supporting him, raising all baseless allegations.
Governor is yet to sign University Laws (Amendment) Bill 2022, passed in September. It alters the composition of the Search-cum-selection Committee of VCs. Governor has made it clear that he would not sign it. New Bill has been sent to the Select Committee of the Assembly. The amended one will be presented before the House on December 13.
The government’s new move, in the form of the Bill, is a counter-offensive against him for his relentless war against corruption and nepotism in the appointments in the universities from VC to professors. So far, courts have not rejected any of his actions in this regard.
