Thiruvananthapuram: In a major setback to the LDF government in Kerala, the Supreme Court on Thursday quashed the reappointment of Prof Gopinath Ravindran as the vice chancellor of Kannur University.
The apex court bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justice J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra termed the reappointment of the vice chancellor unwarranted interference by the Kerala government. The court also criticised the governor for “abdicating or surrendering” his statutory powers for reappointing the vice-chancellor.
Justice Pardiwala said although the notification for reappointment was issued by the chancellor, the decision stood vitiated by the unwarranted interference by the state government.
The court agreed with the state government's submission that the reappointment was not hit by the age limit prescription, it quashed the reappointment on the grounds of excessive state interference.
The reappointment of Prof Ravindaran was challenged by university senate member Dr Premachandran Keezhoth and a member of the Academic Council Dr Shino P Jose on the grounds that the vice chancellor had completed 60 years of age and the appointment was made without constituting a search committee, which is violative of the 2018 UGC regulations.
It may be recalled that the Kerala government reappointed Prof Ravindran as the vice chancellor of Kannur University in November 2021 by setting aside section 10(9) of the Kannur University Act that capped the upper age limit of the candidates for the VCs post to 60 years.
The petitioners approached the high court against the decision. However, their petition was dismissed by the court in favour of the government. Subsequently, the verdict was challenged in Division Bench which also upheld the reappointment of Prof Ravindran citing that it was approved by the Governor.
Kannur VC accepts SC verdict
Kannur University vice chancellor Gopinath Ravindran accepted the Supreme Court verdict. “There is no question of resignation since the Supreme Court has quashed the reappointment. I never demanded the reappointment. I was the vice chancellor for 7 years and I could do many things for the university. I am going back as a permanent professor at the history department of Jamia Milia Islamia tomorrow.
Governor blames pressure from CM for reappointing VC
Despite facing scathing attack from the Supreme Court for abdicating his powers, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan shifted the blame on the government and particularly chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The governor told media persons in Thiruvananthapuram; “the chief minister himself came to my office and said Kannur is my home district. I said let the process (of appointment of Kannur VC) be completed. Once the panel comes I will consult with you and I will definitely take your views before appointing a vice-chancellor. You are an elected chief minister. The process had begun, we had already received ten or twelve applications from the applicants. Three days later the legal adviser of the chief minister and his OSD both came to my office and said that you have already promised to accommodate the wishes of the chief minister so why go through the process? I said because the law demands so. They said our legal opinion says the process can be scuttled. I said who had given that opinion. They said the advocate general had given that opinion and then they produced the AG’s opinion.”
Opposition demands higher education minister’s resignation
Opposition leader V D Satheeshan demanded the resignation of Kerala higher education minister R Bindu in the wake of the SC verdict. “The stand taken by the opposition stands vindicated by the SC verdict. The apex court has categorically stated that there was unwarranted interference on the part of the state government. The minister has no right to continue in office. She should resign today itself. The reappointment was part of a conspiracy jointly hatched by the governor and the state government.
Higher education minister R Bindu said the recommendation for reappointment of the vice-chancellor was based on the legal opinion received by the government from the advocate general. The governor is vested with the discretionary powers to appoint the vice-chancellors.
