Will move court against Guv’s move: Govt to HC

Kochi: The state govt informed high court that it will challenge the Governor’s order to form search committees for selection of vice chancellors in six universities in Kerala, issued in his capacity as chancellor of universities.
The state govt conveyed this in response to a petition filed by Dr Mary George, who is seeking the appointment of regular vice chancellors for the universities in the state.The bench of Justices A Muhamed Mustaque and S Manu posted the petition for further consideration on July 17. Dr George approached HC requesting a directive for the state to take steps to appoint vice chancellors in these institutions.
Previously, the state govt countered this petition by stating that amendment bills, which had been introduced to modify the statutory provisions for appointing VCs at Kerala University, Calicut University, Mahatma Gandhi University, Sree Sankaracharya University, and Kannur University, were pending before the Governor for assent.
Despite this, the Governor has already appointed search committees for the selection of VCs for Kerala University, MG University, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Kerala Agricultural University, and Malayalam University. Since the universities declined to nominate members to the search committees, the Governor formed the committees without university nominees. These search committees have been instructed to provide their recommendations within three months of the notification date.
Furthermore, the counsel for the Governor indicated that an additional five committees would be formed for five other universities. Meanwhile, the advocate general, representing the state govt, argued that according to the statutes and regulations, the Governor does not have the authority to constitute the committees in this manner, and that the govt intends to challenge this decision accordingly.