Minister Bindu Condemns Governor’s Move to Invite Applications for Calicut University VC Post

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu has strongly criticised Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar’s decision to invite applications for the post of Vice-Chancellor of Calicut University, calling it undemocratic and condemnable.
Bindu said the governor’s move was an encroachment on the authority of universities that function under the state government and had effectively reduced the elected government to a mute spectator. She added that the government would initiate legal action against the notification issued by the governor.
The minister alleged that the act represented a new chapter in the use of excessive powers by the Sangh Parivar across the country, warning that such unilateral interventions undermine the principles of federal governance in higher education.
Governor Arlekar had issued the notification on November 3 inviting applications for the Calicut University Vice-Chancellor’s post. The very next day, he approved the formation of a search-cum-selection committee comprising representatives of the Chancellor, the University Grants Commission (UGC), and the University Syndicate to recommend names for the appointment.