Nixing of suspension: KU VC ridicules registrar's claims

Time of India

5 hours ago

Thrissur/T'puram: Kerala University acting vice-chancellor Mohanan Kunnumal on Monday criticized registrar K S Anil Kumar, saying there was no legal basis to the latter's claims that the university syndicate withdrew his suspension.
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He was speaking to reporters after meeting the governor Rajendra Arlekar, who is also the chancellor of the university in Thrissur.
"The syndicate has not met. The vice-chancellor should be chairing the syndicate meeting. Subsequently, the vice-chancellor should sign the order issued after the syndicate takes such a decision. Where is that order, who has signed it? There is no such order. The university statute makes it clear that whenever there is no syndicate, or senate or academic council, it is the vice-chancellor who is the syndicate, senate and academic council,'' Kunnumal said.
The vice-chancellor dismissed the reports that about 2,500 degree certificates were pending as "blatant lies". He said only around 500 such files were pending.
"Those files can be disposed of within minutes, once I reach there. But those who are on an agitation there have threatened that I will not be allowed to set my foot there at the university headquarters. I'm wondering why those who make such threats against the head of a university are not arrested.
The police are actually giving protection to the agitators. They are trying to block even the online disposal of files. The protesters launched an agitation even in front of my wife's residence in Thiruvananthapuram.
I'm not particular about going to the university, but my worry is about the children studying there. I'm not scared to go there, but I know the students and even the police may get injured, during the possible violence if I go there.
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I don't want that to happen. I'm a doctor and I know the consequences of such violence. I don't want even a drop of blood to be shed in my name'' Kunnumal said.
He alleged that it was the registrar, not the vice-chancellor, who had precipitated such a crisis. The VC said he had briefed the governor on these details. He said he hoped that as the head of the state, the governor would take appropriate decisions in the best interest of the state, particularly the students.
SUCC urges guv to revoke registrar's appointment
Even as the tussle between the vice-chancellor and the registrar continues to affect the functioning of Kerala University, the Save University Campaign Committee (SUCC) urged Arlekar to revoke the appointment of Kumar as registrar.
Kunnumal stopped looking at the files cleared by Kumar, whom he suspended in connection with the Bharat Mata controversy. A large number of files, including degree certificates, are pending for the approval of the VC, who also ceased to attend his office in the university.
SUCC said the very appointment of Kumar as the registrar was against university laws. As per the Kerala University statute 12 (14), deputation to the post of the university registrar should be given to central govt or state govt officials. "Kumar is a faculty member at a private college (Thiruvitamcore Devaswom Board College) under the university. He is continuing as the registrar based on a special order by the govt.
This is against the university laws," the committee said.
The service of a teacher from St Thomas College (a private college in Thrissur), who was appointed as registrar at Calicut University on deputation, was terminated following a quo warranto petition filed in the high court challenging the appointment, it pointed out.
In Feb, the syndicate extended Kumar's appointment for four years. Although there were allegations of it being against the rules, all official members participated in the meeting to extend the appointment to protect the govt's special interest.