Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) has cancelled the illegal appointments of three government law college principals in the state.
Dr R. Bijukumar (Thiruvananthapuram), Dr V.R. Jayadevan (Thrissur) and Bindu M. Nambiar (Ernakulam) are the principals who lose their jobs, thanks to the order of the KAT Bench, comprising of KAT Ernakulam Centre Judicial Member Justice P.V. Asha and Administrative Member P.K. Kesavan, in connection with the petition filed by Dr S.S. Girishankar, Associate Professor, Ernakulam Law College.
KAT order says that appointments should have been implemented based on the findings of the selection committee as per the UGC Rules of 2010 for the Principals’ vacancies reported on March 29, 2017. Those who have retired during this period also should be considered.
If the retired ones are selected, it should be considered as late appointments, and all benefits should be awarded to them. If the vacancies were reported later on, appointments should be on the basis of the UGC Regulations of 2018.
Petitioner had argued that since the state government has accepted UGC regulations, principals’ appointments should comply with them.
This is the latest episode in the string of irregularities taking place during the rule of the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) presided over by CPM supremo Pinarayi Vijayan. Several VCs in the state lost their jobs during the last few months under similar situations. Kerala witnessed even Supreme Court interventions in this regard.
The matter is alarming as the standard of varsities in Kerala is decreasing daily.
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