Newz Desk, Durgapur: The Supreme Court on Friday asked Kerala Governor and Chancellor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to arrive at a mutually acceptable decision on the appointment of vice-chancellors to two key State universities by December 9. Failing an agreement, the court warned, it would step in and make the final selection itself.
A Bench led by Justice J.B. Pardiwala issued the directive while hearing a dispute over the appointment of V-Cs for APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and the Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology (Digital University Kerala). Both posts have been pending, with differences emerging between the Governor and the Left-led State government.
During the hearing, Attorney-General R. Venkataramani, representing the Governor, informed the court that Mr. Arlekar favoured the candidature of Ciza Thomas and Priya Chandran for the two universities. These names were shortlisted by search-cum-selection committees headed by a former Supreme Court judge.
However, senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, appearing for the State, conveyed that the Chief Minister was not in agreement with the Governor’s choices.
The court expressed displeasure over the ongoing stand-off and stressed that the appointment of the “most meritorious candidate” must not be delayed any further.
“You will have to reach a consensus by Tuesday. If not, the only option is the intervention of this court. We will make the appointment,” Justice Pardiwala said, instructing both sides to resolve the issue without further confrontation.
The matter is part of an ongoing series of legal and political tussles between the Kerala government and the Raj Bhavan over university governance and the powers of the Chancellor.
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