5 months ago
1
Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar conveyed to the Supreme Court connected Thursday his penchant for the appointments of Dr. Ciza Thomas and Dr. Priya Chandran arsenic Vice Chancellors of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University and the Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology, respectively.
Governor Arlekar said helium preferred some names for the respective posts, though Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had objected to Ms. Thomas.
The Governor said the Chief Minister’s objection to Ms. Thomas was based simply connected quality reports and not connected records.
“On an autarkic appraisal of the show of Dr. Ciza Thomas arsenic the Vice Chancellor of 2 universities during the past years for abbreviated stints, the Chancellor is afloat satisfied and convinced of her show of the duties entrusted to her with existent dedication and honesty,” an affidavit highlighted.
The Governor, who is the Chancellor of the 2 State-run universities, said helium had based his determination solely connected the information that some names were commonly recommended by the 2 abstracted hunt committees chaired by erstwhile Supreme Court judge, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia.
“The 2 hunt committees constituted for submitting the sheet of candidates furnished 2 abstracted panels for the 2 universities. Only these 2 names recovered spot successful some the panels. Such an inclusion has to beryllium considered arsenic the acceptance of the exemplary merit of the 2 persons. So, going by merit assessed by the committees, they person to beryllium selected, but the Chief Minister did not favour them,” the Governor’s broadside explained successful a abbreviated affidavit.
The Governor said his decision-making process had been handicapped due to the fact that helium had not received immoderate documents regarding the credentials of the candidates.
“Since nary papers relating to the credentials of the candidates person been received, the applicant [Governor-Chancellor] is not successful a presumption to instrumentality immoderate different determination than to similar the 2 candidates recommended by the 2 committees,” the affidavit reasoned.
The lawsuit is scheduled to beryllium taken up earlier a Supreme Court Bench headed by Justice J.B. Pardiwala connected December 5.
The Supreme Court had intervened connected August 18 to name Justice (retired) Sudhanshu Dhulia to caput a search-cum-selection committee to urge names for assignment arsenic Vice Chancellors of the 2 universities. The tribunal had ordered that the shortlisted names, endorsed by Justice Dhulia, beryllium placed earlier the Chief Minister for his consideration. The August 18 bid had entitled the Chief Minister to urge to the Governor the shortlisted names successful bid of preference.
In September, the Governor’s bureau had returned to the apical tribunal seeking a modification of the August 18 bid regarding the relation of the Chief Minister successful the assignment process. The Governor had argued that neither the University Grants Commission nor the State laws governing the 2 universities envisaged a relation for the Chief Minister. The exertion had contended that the Chief Minister’s engagement would beryllium tantamount to a idiosyncratic judging his ain cause.
