After Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Puducherry, a political crisis is brewing in Kerala with Raj Bhavan in the middle. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan appears to be on a collision course with the state government over several issues, the latest being the appointment of vice-chancellors (VCs) to universities in the state. The governor asked VCs of nine State universities to quit, citing his power as chancellor to question the process of appointment. The government cried foul and the
After Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Puducherry, a political crisis is brewing in Kerala with Raj Bhavan in the middle. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan appears to be on a collision course with the state government over several issues, the latest being the appointment of vice-chancellors (VCs) to universities in the state. The governor asked VCs of nine State universities to quit, citing his power as chancellor to question the process of appointment. The government cried foul and the fate of these nine VCs hangs in the balance after the Kerala high court said that they could continue in their positions pending a final order from the governor’s office.
The immediate trigger might be a controversial education bill that aims to curtail the powers of the governor in appointing VCs and a recent Supreme Court ruling that scrapped one such appointment for violating norms set by the University Grants Commission. But the roots of the conflict are deeper — underlined in the face-offs between chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Mr Khan. That this phenomenon is seen across states showcases its political nature. Parties allege that the Centre is trying to usurp powers through the office of the governor and Raj Bhavan feels that it is being left out of administrative decisions without consultation.
This is an untenable situation that is hurting governance and the citizenry (for example, the fate of university students) and policymakers should be alarmed at the frequency of such altercations even in full states where the delineation of powers is more explicitly coded. Resolution can be achieved by both sides, respecting the mandate given by the electorate and the Constitution, and pushing for more specific guidelines on the governor’s powers, but the current polarised political atmosphere holds out little hope.
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