Govt. constitutes V-C selection panel for KTU; excludes Chancellor’s nominee
Panel assigns two slots for govt. nominees. Other members nominated by the university, KSHEC and UGC
In an unprecedented move, the Higher Education department issued an order on Friday, nominating members to a search-cum-selection committee constituted for the Vice-Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU).
Notably, the panel does not allocate a position for the Chancellor’s nominee, even as it assigned two slots for government nominees. The other members have been nominated by the university, Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) and the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The members of the committee are former Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) Vice-Chancellor Madhusoodanan K.N. (KTU nominee), Pradeep T., Institute Professor, IIT Madras (KSHEC nominee); Central University of Jharkhand Vice-Chancellor Kshiti Bhushan Das (UGC nominee), CUSAT Vice-Chancellor in-charge P.G. Shankaran and former Mahatma Gandhi University Vice-Chancellor Sabu Thomas (State government nominees). Prof. Thomas will be the convener of the committee.
The government had in April issued an order to constitute the search-cum-selection committee. Citing the Supreme Court quashing the appointment of former Vice-Chancellor Rajasree M.S., the order stated that a search committee, comprising nominees of the Board of Governors and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the Chief Secretary, as mandated by the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological Act was rendered “inoperative” by way of the judgement of the apex court.
This paved the way for the altered composition with nominees of the government, KSHEC, UGC and the university. The government also maintained that the UGC Regulations does not fix responsibility on who should constitute the committee, in an indirect defiance to the practice of the Chancellor conventionally initiating the process.
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