Munnar college principal suspended for issuing NOC to extend staffer deputation

Thiruvananthapuram: A controversy has erupted in the wake of the one-year extension given to an associate professor at the College of Engineering, Munnar, under the Centre for Continuing Education, Kerala, who was on deputation there for five years.

The higher education department suspended Mr P. Ramesh, associate professor, who was holding charge of the principal, for issuing an NOC to Mr Ramesh Unnikrishnan, associate professor, without clearance from the department.

Mr Shaji Senadhipan, director in charge of the Centre for Continuing Education, issued the suspension orders on January 23 and appointed Mr V.G. Biju, associate professor, as the principal in charge on the same day.

Mr Unnikrishnan was working as the director of the Thiruvananthapuram regional office of the AICTE when he was sent on five- year deputation to the college in December 2012. After completing the deputation, he applied for a one-year extension and the AICTE approved it based on the NOC given by the principal on January 18.

Mr Ramesh was suspended alleging grave irregularity and insubordination and violation of government procedures.

Mr Unnikrishnan, now AICTE director, denied the allegation and said that he was given the extension on the basis of the NOC issued by the state government. The controversies were being created by vested interests, he said.