NEW DELHI, Dec 13: The state government – governor row over the appointment of vice-chancellors of various universities in Kerala culminated in the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday adopting two amendment bills to replace the governor as the chancellor of the universities in the state.
During the passage of the two University Law (Amendment) Bills, the combined opposition the United Democratic Front (UDF) staged a walkout in protest against the refusal to accept all of its proposed amendments to the Bill and the alleged efforts being made to turn universities into Marxist centres.
The legislation will enable the government to appoint academicians or “persons of eminence” in various fields of knowledge including agriculture and veterinary science, technology, medicine, social science, humanities, literature, art, culture, law or public administration.
During the debate on the bills, the Opposition moved a motion to appoint one Chancellor for 14 universities instead of separate Chancellors for each. They also proposed appointing a retired Supreme Court judge or a retired Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court to the post and creating a selection committee comprising the Chief Minister, Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court and the Leader of Opposition for the purpose.
Law Minister P. Rajeeve, who had piloted the bills highlighted potential legal hurdles in incorporating the Chief Justice in the panel. He, instead, proposed the inclusion of the Speaker in the panel that would be chaired by the Chief Minister and also have the Leader of the Opposition as a member. The amendment too was passed by the Assembly.
Mr. Rajeeve, however, refused to entertain the other proposals that were made by the Opposition. This prompted the Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan to accuse the State government of paving the ground to bring people they favoured to the helm of the universities and erode their autonomy and walked out in protest.
(Manas Dasgupta)