Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 3 Amid an ongoing standoff between the Kerala government and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar over Vice-Chancellor appointments, Law Minister P. Rajeev and Higher Education Minister R. Bindu met the Governor at Raj Bhavan on Sunday and urged him to adhere strictly to the Supreme Court's directives in the matter.
The meeting, which lasted for nearly an hour, was held on the instructions of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The ministers pressed for the appointment of regular VCs from the list of candidates recommended by the government, emphasising that such appointments must be based on high academic credentials and in line with constitutional and judicial norms.
They also expressed strong reservations against the Governor's recent reappointment of interim VCs to Digital University Kerala (DUK) and APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU), bypassing the government’s proposed panels.
Raj Bhavan sources, however, maintained that the interim appointments were in compliance with the Supreme Court's order, which requires the continuation of academic administration until regular appointments are made.
The meeting is the latest episode in the prolonged power struggle between the Raj Bhavan and the LDF-led government over control of higher education institutions. The conflict intensified after the Governor, in his capacity as Chancellor, repeatedly rejected the state's recommendations and proceeded with appointments independently - a move the government considers unconstitutional and contrary to the principles of cooperative federalism.
The state government argues that the Governor's unilateral actions violate Supreme Court guidelines that emphasise transparency, merit, and the elimination of political influence in VC appointments. It has accused the Raj Bhavan of bypassing established norms and undermining the autonomy of the university system.
The ministers also conveyed the government's decision to challenge the Governor's actions legally and confirmed that the state is preparing to approach the Supreme Court.
This comes even as Chief Minister Vijayan has, for the second time, written to the Governor requesting that all appointments be made from the government's recommended list.
With both sides refusing to budge, the deadlock over university appointments in Kerala continues, raising concerns over governance and academic stability in the state's higher education sector.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor