Secret understanding behind VC appointments: Congress

Thiruvananthapuram: AICC general secretary K C Venugopal on Wednesday alleged that the compromise between the governor and the state govt over the appointment of vice-chancellors was the result of a secret understanding between the two sides. He said that the appointments of Ciza Thomas as vice-chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and Saji Gopinath as vice-chancellor of Digital University Kerala—candidates that each side had previously opposed—raised serious questions.Venugopal alleged that the governor and the chief minister, who had publicly criticized each other, suddenly cooperated to reappoint the same individuals they had earlier objected to. He claimed this abrupt change of stance suggested that both were acting on instructions from ‘higher authorities' even before the Supreme Court was expected to deliver its final verdict on the matter. He said the public had been deliberately misled. He pointed out that when Thomas was first appointed as vice chancellor, govt-backed protests by CPM and its student wing, SFI, created widespread uncertainty and anxiety among students regarding their academic future. Similarly, the governor had earlier taken a strong stand against the appointment of Gopinath as vice-chancellor of the digital university. Venugopal questioned why all such opposition had suddenly disappeared and asked what had happened to the serious charges earlier raised by both the chief minister and the governor against these vice-chancellors. Congress Working Committee member Ramesh Chennithala echoed these concerns, stating that CM Pinarayi Vijayan's acceptance of the governor's decision had brought an end to what he described as a ‘comedy show' that had jeopardized the future of thousands of students. He said both sides agreed to the appointments just before the Supreme Court was set to pronounce its final decision, raising doubts about the motives behind the prolonged confrontation. Chennithala said the conflict between the govt and the Lok Bhavan had continued for nearly three years under two governors, severely affecting higher education in the state. "The underlying agreement between the two parties has once again become apparent to the public, clearly exposing how the interests of tens of thousands of students were compromised," he said. Such prolonged administrative uncertainties, Chennithala added, are one of the key reasons why many students from Kerala are increasingly opting to pursue higher education abroad. He further criticized the state govt for spending lakhs of rupees of public money to pursue the case in the Supreme Court, questioning the justification for such expenditure. He said that whenever the govt faced a crisis, conflicts with the governor were deliberately used to divert public attention, with SFI frequently playing a role. He further said that the "drama" had now ended and the hidden agreement stood exposed.