In an unprecedented move Kerala Government today decided to remove the Governor Arif Mohammad Khan as the Chancellor of the universities.
The cabinet has voted to pass an ordinance or special order that will result in his removal.
The official release from the CMO says that the cabinet will ask the Governor to prmulgate an ordinance that will seek to bring an expert as the Chancellor of 14 Kerala universities. The statement reads, "The Ordinance is meant to amend the University Rules pertaining to the post of Chancellor of the Universities in the state. The draft of the ordinance would remove the particular section from the University Rules, which has made the governor the ex-officio chancellor of the 14 universities in Kerala."
It also noted that the decision to bring such ordinance followed the recommendations of M M Punchhi Commission on centre-state relations. The commission in its reports said that it is better to not appoint Governor as the Chancellor due to her/his several other Constitutional obligations and works.
The government also noted the importance of reforming higher education and cited the step as a move towards it.
Dr. R Bindu, the Kerala higher education minister while addressing the media said they hope that the Governor will sign the ordinance. "The governor has the constitutional obligation to sign the ordinance. We hope he will fulfil that obligation. Due to the recent developments in the universities, the state’s higher education sector is in crisis. We cannot allow things to go like this. The government has given top priority to enhancing the standards in the higher education sector," she added.
A few days back the state secretary of CPI (M) M V Govindan said that the government would go to any extent to fight the Governor.
The move came in the backdrop of the continuous war of words between the Chief Minister Vijayan and the Governor. Khan earlier asked the Vice Chancellors of eleven universities to resign on the ground of allegedly faulted recruitment.
However, recently the things took ugly turn as Khan alleged the Kerala Government of smuggling.
Earlier while speaking to Outlook, Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of CPI (M) told that the Governor was working to fulfil his personal political objectives.
Vijayan had also accused the Governor of saffornising the institutions.
Yesterday, the legal advisor and the standing counsel of the Chancellor of the universities resigned from their post citing reasons 'known to you (Governor)'. The legal advisor K Jaju Babu was appointed as the honorary legal advisor to the Governor in February 2009, and advocate M U Vijayalakshmi was serving as the standing counsel of the Chancellor.
Babu was representing the Governor in Kerala High Court in the case where VCs of eleven universities challenged his decision to seek resignations. The Governor also issued show-cause notice to the VCs.
