SC Gives Kerala a Deadline: Reach Consensus on VC Names or Court Intervenes
SC Gives Kerala a Deadline: Reach Consensus on VC Names or Court Intervenes
Supreme Court warns Kerala CM and governor to settle on vice-chancellor candidates for two state universities by a set deadline, or risk judicial appointment.
The Supreme Court in New Delhi on Friday pressed Kerala's chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and governor Rajendra Arlekar to resolve their dispute over appointing vice-chancellors for two state universities by consensus. The bench made it clear that if a consensus cannot be reached, the court will step in and appoint from the names suggested by the panel it appointed. The matter centers on the appointments to the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and the University of Digital Sciences Innovation and Technology. A Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia committee had recommended four names for each university, but the chancellor selected two from those lists. The attorney general noted that the chief minister appeared to have some difficulty with these names, prompting the court to set a Tuesday deadline for a workable resolution. If no agreement emerges by then, the court signaled that it will proceed with its own appointment.
Cover image source: Reach a consensus on ‘most meritorious’ names for VCs by December 9: SC to Kerala Governor, CM 🔗
