Kerala: Govt-guv tiff likely over CU vice-chancellor pick

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The stage is set for yet another round of clash between state governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the LDF government with the government and UGC representative put their weight behind two different candidates for the post of Calicut University vice chancellor.
The much-delayed interview of five candidates shortlisted for the post was held on May 18, despite the Covid-19 related restrictions. While four prospective candidates attended the interview through video conferencing, two major contenders for the post appeared in person before the interview panel.
The university representative and state planning board vice chairperson V K Ramachandran and chief secretary Tom Jose have put their weight behind K M Seethi of MG University whom the government prefers, it is learnt.Meanwhile, UGC representative and JNU vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar found another candidate -- C A Jayaprakas, principal scientist at the Thiruvananthapuram-based Central Tuber Crops Research Institute -- as the best among the contenders.
As consensus eluded, the government had to submit two panels to the state governor for his perusal. Even before the file reached Raj Bhavan, higher education minister K T Jaleel called on the governor at his official residence with a request for governor's stamp of approval to the candidate recommended by the government. The minister is learnt to have tried to appraise the governor about the government intend to strike a balance on several counts by choosing K M Seethi to the post.
However, pressure has started to mount on the governor who is the appointing authority of vice-chancellors with national leaders of the RSS and BJP started a campaign for Jayaprakas whom the JNU vice chancellor, the only academic in the search committee, preferred to the post, it is learnt.
"What the RSS and BJP leaders have requested the governor is to count merit over political preferences," sources said. If the governor chooses to cross sword with the state government and goes by the candidate supported by BJP-RSS, the state will have its first vice-chancellor from the Schedule Caste community.