Kerala academics ask CJI to review SC VC search committees over UGC exclusion, political interference

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A collective of former vice-chancellors and senior academics from the state has written to the Chief Justice of India, expressing grave concerns over search committees constituted by the Supreme Court for selection of vice-chancellors in technological and digital universities without the representative of the University Grants Commission (UGC). The 13 signatories of the letter include G Madhavan Nair, former chairman, ISRO, TP Sreenivasan, former Vice-Chairman, Kerala State Higher Education Council, and G Gopakumar, former Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Kerala. The academics highlighted a perceived deviation from established principles of university governance and also previous Supreme Court rulings. In judgments such as Gambhirdan K Gadhvi vs State of Gujarat (2019) and Professor (Dr.) Sreejith P S vs Dr. Rajasree M S (2022), the Supreme Court has emphasised the mandatory inclusion of a UGC nominee in such search committees, they pointed out. The letter also raised concerns that the recent SC order, reportedly based on a precedent from a case involving universities in West Bengal, grants an all-pervasive role to the states chief minister, which is not provided for in the state act or UGC regulations. The academics pointed out that increasing litigation and political intervention in higher education were deterring eminent professionals from applying for vice-chancellor positions, which is not in the best interest of the countrys education system. The letter requested the Chief Justice of Indias intervention to ensure that judicial pronouncements on academic matters align with established academic norms.