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Governor removed as chancellor of Kerala Kalamandalam varsity amid row
Suiting action to its words that it no longer wants Governor Arif Mohammed Khan at the helm of universities in the state, the Pinarayi Vijayan headed dispensation issued an order amending the rules and regulations of the deemed university of Art and Culture.
The Kerala government on Thursday amended the rules of Kerala Kalamandalam deemed university to remove the governor as its chancellor, a position which would now be filled with an eminent person from the field of art and culture.
The Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government issued an order amending the rules and regulations of the deemed university of art and culture. Khan is presently chancellor of the Kerala Kalamandalam according to its website.
The development comes amid the government's ongoing tussle with Khan over the functioning of universities, including the appointment of vice-chancellors, in the state and its announcement that it will come out with an ordinance to replace him with eminent academicians at the helm of varsities in Kerala.
The latest tussle between the LDF government and Khan snowballed in August after the latter refused to sign 11 ordinances brought by the government, including one that curtailed the powers of the Lokayukta (anti-corruption ombudsman) and another that curtailed his own powers as chancellor of state universities.
While Khan signed nine ordinances, he held back the ones pertaining to Lokayukta and university appointments.
On October 22, the Supreme Court quashed the appointment of APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University vice-chancellor MS Rajashree saying that it was in violation of University Grants Commission (UGC) norms.
The court observed that no search committee had been constituted to select a V-C and that three names were not shortlisted before Rajashree was appointed. These violations made Rajashree’s appointment “illegal” and void ab initio (having no legal effect), the court observed.
