Kerala government on defensive over Governor's charges of politicising universities

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan's resentment against the political interventions at universities in Kerala has triggered a political row with opposition parties accusing the CPM-led left-front government of politicising the higher education sector.

The Governor had literally cornered the Pinarayi Vijayan government by specifically citing instances of undue political interventions in universities. Though the Chief Minister reportedly got in touch with the Governor after receiving the Governor's letter suggesting that he may be removed from the chancellor post, the Governor was sticking to his stand.

The Governor told the media that the government wanted to impose its political decisions on the universities, which he could not tolerate while remaining as chancellor and hence he suggested that he may be removed from the chancellor post through an ordinance.

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The opposition Congress termed the developments as unprecedented in the country and asked Vijayan to shed his silence on such issues. Opposition leader V D Satheesan said that the Pinarayi Vijayan government was trying to make universities party offices. The quality of the higher education institutions was being spoiled by recruiting unqualified persons through the back door, he alleged.

The immediate provocation for the Governor to shoot off a letter to the Chief Minister was the pressure, allegedly from the CMO, to reappoint Kannur University vice-chancellor Gopinath Ravindran. The move also came amidst allegations that the vice-chancellor was favouring a move to appoint Chief Minister's private secretary K K Ragesh's wife at the associate professor in the university. The Governor opposed reappointing the vice-chancellor citing the upper age limit restrictions of 60 in the university norms for vice-chancellor appointment. To overcome it, the government submitted a legal opinion of the advocate general citing the upper age limit of 62 in the UGC norms.

However, with regard to the selection of vice-chancellor of Sanskrit University when the search committee suggested only one person instead of a panel, the Governor pointed out that it was against UGC norms. Then the government maintained that as per the university norms it was proper.

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Government inaction against Kerala Kalamandalam vice-chancellor T K Narayanan despite moving the High Court against the Chancellor's (Governor) ruling in a disciplinary action was another instance pointed out by the Governor. Delay in appointments to the newly formed Sree Narayana open university despite repeated reminders by the Chancellor also irked Khan.

Earlier also there were differences between Khan and the Pinarayi Vijayan government on issues like NRC and farm laws. While those were defended by the government as its political stand, the present instances pointed out by the Governor seems to have put the left-front government in a tight spot.

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