The CPI(M) led Government in Kerala remains unperturbed over last week’s High Court verdict quashing the appointment of Riji John,Vice Chancellor of the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. A petition filed by Riji John challenging the High Court order has been scheduled for hearing by the Bench consisting of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli.
The Department of Higher Education as well as the KUFOS officials point out that the High Court has erred in its observation that the University Granst Commission regulations were violated by the Government of Kerala in the appointment of Riji John.
A release by the KUFOS says that if the apex court upholds the Kerala High Court verdict unseating Riji John for not following the UGC regulations, it would lead to the termination of services of all vice-chancellors in the country’s agricultural and fisheries universities. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the plea by Riji John on November 25.
The release by KUFOS says that all vice chancellors of the seventy agricultural/fisheries universities in India (numbering 70) were selected by committees that included the representatives of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. “All these universities come under the jurisdiction of ICAR and none of them get any kind of financial assistance from the UGC. This means that the UGC has no role in the selection of vice chancellors of these institutions,” said the release by KUFOS.
The University Grants Commission was established on 28 December 1956 while the ICAR was in operation since 16 July 1929. Since the day ot was formed, the ICAR was the agency tasked with the appointment of vice-chancellors of the universities that come under it,” said the release.
As per Indian Constitution, agricultural education figures in the State List and this automatically empowers the State the right to make all appointments to the agricultural universities. Moreover, the UGC itself has termed the Agricultural, fisheries and veterinary universities in the State as State Universities with rules formulated by the State Government.
Sources close to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said the Constitution is right. “But is there any possibilities of the judges overlooking this important issue while pronouncing the verdict quashing the appointment of the KUFOS vice-chancellor?” they ask.
The Higher Education Department of Kerala is in a state of turmoil following the stand off between the Governor and the State Government over appointment of vice-chancellors and faculty members in the Universities. The CPI(M)-led Government has promulgated an ordinance unseating the Governor from the post of Chancellor of the Universities in the State. The ordinance would come into effect only after the Governor affixes his signature on the ordinances.