The Kerala High Court on Thursday quashed the appointment of high-profile Priya Varghese as associate professor of the Malayalam department of Kannur University. Justice Devan Ramachandran who pronounced the verdict said that Priya Varghese did not have the academic or professional qualifications mandated by the University Grants Commission. “The rules demand that the person to be appointed as associatye professor should have minimum eight years teaching experience. But Priya Varghese does not have teaching experience of eight years,” said Justice Devan Ramachandran in his judgment.
Priya Varghese is the spouse of K K Ragesh, private secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and world renowned Marxist leader from Kannur. One of the applicants who was disqualified by the selection committee, had challenged the appointment of Priya Varghese in the Kerala High Court and Thursday’s verdict was the fall out of the petition.
Gopinath Raveendran, a sworn Leftist and close associate of Pinarayi Vijayan is the vice chancellor of Kannur University. Raveendran is in the eye of a storm following a directive issued by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan asking him to show cause why his services should not be terminated in the backdrop of the October 21 Supreme Court verdict declaring the appointment of the vice chancellor of Kerala Technical University as null and void.
The Kerala High Court has last week declared as null and void the appointment of the vice chancellor of KUFOS for violating the UGC guidelines. “This the third set back in as many weeks for the CPI(M)-led Kerala Government. A person like Priya Varghese should not have applied for this job,” said K Sudhakaran, MP and president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee. Speaking to The Pioneer from Kannur, Sudhakaran said that the High Court judgment was an ideal punishment for the LDF Government’s nepotism and blatant violation of the law of the land. “ I extend my congratulations to the High Court. The CPI(M) should make an introspection in the backdrop of these verdicts and try to correct itself instead of blaming the Indian National Congress which exposes their failures and high handedness,” said Sudhakaran.