Kerala Law Academy principal Lekshmi Nair faces action

Thiruvananthapuram: The syndicate meeting on Saturday decided to debar Law Academy principal P. Lakshmi Nair from all examination related duties including internal examination, valuation of test papers and granting internal sessional marks for the next five years. The meeting also forwarded the report of the syndicate sub-committee to the management and government for further action. When the motion was put for voting, eight members including seven CPM members and Director of Public Instruction K.V. Mohan Kumar supported the motion while four members of the Congress including Jyothi Kumar Chamakala, S. Krishna Kumar, M. Jeevanlal and CPI member R. Lathadevi opposed the motion. Congress member K.S. Gopakumar and Muslim League member M.K. Abdul Rahim abstained from voting.

Congress member Johnson Abraham who submitted a dissent note to the syndicate also did not vote. While the CPI and Congress demanded the removal of Ms Nair from the post of principal, CPM wanted the syndicate to direct the management to take action. CPM members were of the view that if the University took action against her, it will not stand legal scrutiny. Vice-chancellor P.K. Radhakrishnan clarified that documents relating to the affiliation are missing from the university. CPI member R. Latha Devi demanded that a probe be initiated into the mystery behind the disappearance of affiliation documents. The syndicate also ordered a detailed probe by examination and students standing committee into the complaints that Anuradha P. Nair, fiance of her Ms Nair’s son, was given excess internal marks and additional attendance.

The meeting also asked the management of Law Academy to rearrange the positions of cameras installed in the women’s hostel, to ensure privacy of inmates and report it to the university within five days. It will be later verified by the sub-committee. The syndicate asked the management not to evacuate inmates of the hostel during university examinations. It further asked the standing committee on examinations to revamp the regulations of law course and place it before the next academic council. The syndicate also constituted a sub-committee with examinations standing committee chairman M. Sreekumar, Controller of examinations K. Madhukumar and Law faculty dean K.C. Sunny to monitor the internal marks awarded to the fourth paper of seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th semesters of five-year LLB and fifth paper of third, fourth, fifth and sixth semesters of three-year LLB.