Thiruvananthapuram: In a notable development, the Governor of Kerala, Arif Mohammed Khan, reappointed Mohanan Kunnummal as the Vice Chancellor of the Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) on Thursday just as Kunnummal was about to conclude his five-year term in office.
The reappointment letter issued by Raj Bhavan states that Kunnummal can serve as the Vice Chancellor for five years or until he reaches the age of 70. Notably, the order also mentions that he will maintain his role as VC of Kerala University, a position he has held for the past two years.
The first person to receive reappointment as VC was Kannur University's former VC Gopinath Ravindran. Kunnummal’s reappointment makes him the second individual to receive reappointment in Kerala. However, in 2023, when the Supreme Court invalidated the reappointment of Ravidran, he was compelled to step down from his position. This ruling was followed by the claims from the governor that his decision to grant Ravindran a second term was made under pressure from the state government.
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As per the recent media report by the Times of India, Raj Bhavan also withdrew the search committee constituted by the governor for KUHS. The high court had stayed the search committee after the govt challenged the governor's authority to constitute the search committee on his own.
Additionally, the initial appointment of Kunnummal sparked controversy as the governor selected him while overlooking the candidates recommended by the government in 2019. Twelve of the fourteen universities in Kerala are currently led by ad hoc Vice Chancellors due to the ongoing political tensions between the government and the governor.
The term of the Saji Gopinath, VC of the Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation, and Technology, is set to expire by the end of October 2024, raising further questions about the stability and governance of Kerala’s higher education institutions.
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