The appointment process for 40 teaching posts in the newly constructed school of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) is pending as the interim vice-chancellor (VC) is yet to be appointed at Raj Bhavan.
The selection of VCs for KTU and Kerala Digital University has reached an impasse with Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the state government unable to reach a consensus.
KTU recently issued a notification for recruitment of 6 professors, 6 associate professors and 28 assistant professors in five colleges offering postgraduate courses. The application deadline is November 29th.
However, the process faces uncertainty considering that the selection committee is supposed to be chaired by the VC, a post that has been lying vacant since Saji Gopinath completed his term on October 27.
University authorities remain hopeful that the process will not be affected and a vice-chancellor is expected to be appointed in due course.
Nonetheless, the Board of Governors (BoG) expressed concern over the delay in appointing interim VCs. In a statement, the statutory body stressed that the ongoing impasse was having a negative impact on some people’s work and education prospects.
Many graduates who applied for degree certificates – some even in fast-track and fast-track modes – faced processing delays due to lack of VCs, affecting the delivery of university services.
“It is wrong to put the authority of the principal ahead of the future of students,” it added.
The Governor has expressed his opposition to any “government interference” in the appointment of the interim standing committee in light of the Supreme Court judgment. However, the government refuted this position and cited the directions of a division bench of the Kerala High Court on the need to appoint the VC from the government panel.
Save University Movement Committee chairman RS Sasikumar accused the government of insisting on selecting the interim VC from the panel submitted by it in order to appoint the person of its choice to the teaching post.
The BoG has denied such allegations, claiming that the appointment process strictly followed University Grants Commission norms. They stressed that the selection committee would not include any syndicate members but would include representatives of principals and subject experts.
Published – November 7, 2024, 9:09 pm (IST)
