Thiruvananthapuram: Save Education Campaign Committee urged higher education minister R Bindu not to blindly follow the path taken by her predecessor, KT Jaleel, who had tried to ‘exercise powers beyond his authority’.
The committee’s leaders were reacting to the minister’s statement that those who have no clue about the powers of the pro-chancellor were finding fault with her for making recommendations to the chancellor regarding appointment of Kannur University vice-chancellor.
“The minister should spend some time and understand university laws. Universities are not part of the government. They are completely autonomous institutions. Ministers or the government have no authority to suggest or recommend names to the top posts of varsities to the chancellor. Pro-chancellor’s is an ornamental post sans authority,” the committee said.
The committee’s chairman R S Sasikumar reiterated that the minister has violated rules by writing letters to the chancellor regarding the appointments of a university vice-chancellor. No other minister in the history of Kerala had ever done so in the past, he added.
The committee’s leaders were reacting to the minister’s statement that those who have no clue about the powers of the pro-chancellor were finding fault with her for making recommendations to the chancellor regarding appointment of Kannur University vice-chancellor.
“The minister should spend some time and understand university laws. Universities are not part of the government. They are completely autonomous institutions. Ministers or the government have no authority to suggest or recommend names to the top posts of varsities to the chancellor. Pro-chancellor’s is an ornamental post sans authority,” the committee said.
The committee’s chairman R S Sasikumar reiterated that the minister has violated rules by writing letters to the chancellor regarding the appointments of a university vice-chancellor. No other minister in the history of Kerala had ever done so in the past, he added.
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