Governor reappoints interim VCs, irks govt
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They will serve for six months or until a permanent VC is appointed, whichever comes first.
Soon after Raj Bhavan issued the order, Thomas and Sivaprasad assumed office in their respective positions
Raj Bhavan said that it issued the appointment orders using powers under Section 13(7) of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University Act, 2015 and Section 11(10) of the Kerala University of Digital Sciences Act, 2021.
It also cited the Supreme Court order on July 30, 2025. On Wednesday, the apex court ruled that the governor has the authority to appoint eligible candidates as interim vice-chancellors for a period of six months, as per the respective university Acts.
The appointments drew sharp criticism from the state govt as the governor rejected the panels it had submitted earlier.
Higher education minister R Bindu called the reappointments a clear violation of the Supreme Court's order and its intent.
She accused the governor of trying to sideline the state's role in university affairs and said the govt would consider legal steps to challenge the governor's move.
Law minister P Rajeeve said that the governor had undermined the spirit of the Supreme Court order. He pointed out that while the apex court allowed the governor to appoint new interim VCs or reappoint former ones, it clearly stated that such appointments must follow the provisions of the University Act and related rules.
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CPM state secretary M V Govindan also criticized the governor, saying that the governor appointed interim VCs by violating the ruling of the Supreme Court.
The apex court had asked both the governor and the govt to work out a plan for the appointment of permanent vice-chancellors in universities so that the interests of students, the primary stakeholders, would be protected.
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