Kerala HC Upholds Ruling Against Governor's VC Appointments

Kochi: The Kerala High Court has dealt a major setback to Governor Rajendra Arlekar by upholding an earlier Single Bench verdict that invalidated the appointment of temporary vice chancellors made without adhering to legal norms.

A Division Bench rejected the Governor’s appeal, affirming that appointments must be made strictly from the panel proposed by the state government. The court reiterated that temporary VCs can be appointed only for a maximum of six months, and any extension beyond this violates university statutes.

The Governor’s attempt to bypass the formal selection process and appoint ideologically aligned individuals, such as K Sivaprasad at KTU and Sisa Thomas at the Digital University, sparked significant public criticism and concern over political interference in academic institutions. The state government had challenged these appointments in court, leading to the original verdict in its favour.

The court observed that prolonged delays in appointing permanent vice chancellors adversely affect university functioning and student interests. It emphasised that the appointment process must not be indefinitely stalled.

The judgment reinforces the primacy of the statutory process and restricts the discretionary powers previously exercised by the Governor in academic appointments.