7 months ago
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The Supreme Court connected Friday (December 5, 2025) said that Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan indispensable scope a statement by December 9 connected the assignment of the “most meritorious” among names shortlisted by hunt committees headed by a retired apex tribunal justice for the presumption of Vice Chancellors of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and the Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology.
“By Tuesday [December 9, 2025], you volition person to scope immoderate consensus. If you are incapable to bash so, the involution of the tribunal is the lone option… You would person to enactment it retired oregon the tribunal volition marque the appointment,” Justice Pardiwala, heading a Bench, addressed Attorney General R. Venkataramani, appearing for the Governor, and elder advocator Jaideep Gupta, for the Kerala government, lasting connected either extremity of the courtroom.
The proceeding began with Mr. Venkataramani conveying to the tribunal that the Governor, who is besides Chancellor of the 2 universities, preferred 2 names, Dr. Ciza Thomas and Dr. Priya Chandran, arsenic Vice Chancellors of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and the Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology, respectively.
However, Chief Minister Vijayan did not hold with him.
Mr. Venkataramani said his penchant was dictated by the information that Ms. Thomas and Ms. Chandran had commonly figured successful the VC panels prepared by some the hunt committees headed by retired Supreme Court judge, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia.
Mr. Gupta chopped in, saying the “Chancellor has agreed to the precise 2 names the Chief Minister has recovered unacceptable”.
The tribunal said the constituent was to person the astir qualified persons appointed arsenic Vice Chancellors.
“We privation the astir meritorious of the names successful some the universities,” Justice Pardiwala emphasised.
The Supreme Court had intervened connected August 18 to name Justice Dhulia to caput search-cum-selection committees to urge names for assignment arsenic Vice-Chancellors of the 2 varsities. The tribunal had ordered the shortlisted names, endorsed by Justice Dhulia, to 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 penchant for assignment arsenic Vice-Chancellors.
In September, the Governor’s bureau returned to the apex court, 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 successful the assignment process. The exertion had contended that the Chief Minister’s engagement would beryllium tantamount to a idiosyncratic judging his ain cause.
