Thiruvananthapuram: The appointments of vice-chancellors in MG University and CUSAT may be delayed with Governor P. Sathasivam asking the universities to reconstitute the search committees to select the VCs.
The VC posts in Abdul Kalam Technological University and NUALS are also vacant.
The higher education protection council in a letter said that the governor in his capacity as chancellor of the universities had scrapped the search committee for selecting the VC of Abdul Kalam Technological University following the finding that one of the shortlisted candidates had a role in the selection of the university nominee to the panel.
Council convener R.S. Sasikumar in the letter wanted the same yardstick and procedure to be applied in the case of MG University and CUSAT also.
It was alleged that the two short- listed candidates, including pro-vice- chancellor of MG University Sabu Thomas and CUSAT vice- chancellor in charge R. Sasidharan were members of the respective senates to choose its nominee to the search committee.Hence, the governor decided to scrap the search panels in these universities also.
In the case of Abdul Kalam Technological University, a new search committee was formed after the senate nominated another member to it.
The search panel comprised apart from the university nominee, the nominees of the governor and the UGC. In the case of MG University and CUSAT, the person who is in charge of the vice-chancellor has to preside over the meeting to select the university nominee. Consequently, Mr Sabu Thomas and Mr Sasidharan will have to stay away from the meeting if they are to be considered to the post of the vice-chancellor. In the case of NUALS, steps for nominating the university representative in the senate are yet to take place.
