Supreme Court Quashes Reappointment Of Kannur University Vice-Chancellor In Kerala

In arriving at this decision, the Court considered a press release issued by Kerala Raj Bhavan, which detailed re-appointment process initiated by the Chief Minister and the Higher Education Minister.

The Supreme Court found that the appointment was vitiated by the interference of the State.

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The Supreme Court quashed the reappointment of Kannur University Vice-Chancellor in Kerala by holding that the appointment was vitiated by the interference of the state. The Apex Court pronounced the verdict on a petition challenging the reappointment of Gopinath Raveendran as the Vice Chancellor of Kannur University.

On Thursday, a bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra according to the Act of 1996, it is the Governor acting as the Chancellor who holds the authority to appoint or re-appoint the Vice-Chancellor. No other individual, including the Pro-Chancellor or any higher authority, is permitted to interfere with the functioning of this statutory authority.

According to ANI, the Supreme Court quashed the reappointment of Kannur University Vice-Chancellor in Kerala and found that the appointment was vitiated by the interference of the State.

 

The Supreme Court quashes the reappointment of Kannur University Vice-Chancellor in Kerala and finds that the appointment was vitiated by the interference of the State. pic.twitter.com/g8isPunT0l

— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2023

 

In arriving at this decision, the Court considered a press release issued by the Kerala Raj Bhavan, which detailed the re-appointment process initiated by the Chief Minister and the Higher Education Minister.

LoP of the Kerala Assembly and Congress leader, VD Satheesan, said, "I welcome the decision taken by the Supreme Court. Supreme Court stated that this is an unwarranted intervention of the state government. And unfortunately, the Governor surrendered to the state government. It was our allegation. Now our allegation is underlined by the Supreme Court."

"The government cannot intervene in university matters... Now the higher Education Minister has to resign with immediate effect. That is our demand," he said.

On the Supreme Court's decision to quash the Kerala government’s decision to re-appoint Gopinath Ravindran as the vice chancellor of Kannur University, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said, "Of course, we will make immediate arrangements. As soon as the judgment of the Supreme Court reaches us, immediately we will make the necessary arrangements."