Kerala Governor Seeks Modification of Supreme Court Order on Vice-Chancellor Selection

The Kerala governor, Rajendra Arlekar, has approached the Supreme Court seeking modification of its August 18 order, which gave the state's chief minister a role in the selection of vice-chancellors for the A P J Abdul Kalam Technological University and Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation, and Technology. The governor argues that neither University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations nor state laws contemplate any role for the CM in the selection process. The application, filed by the governor in his capacity as the chancellor of the universities, points out that the UGC Regulations 2018 shall prevail for the appointment of vice-chancellors, highlighting the independence and autonomy of the universities by excluding any role of the state government.

Key Takeaways:

The Kerala governor, Rajendra Arlekar, has approached the Supreme Court seeking modification of its August 18 order on vice-chancellor selection.
The governor argues that neither UGC regulations nor state laws contemplate any role for the CM in the selection process.
The application, filed by the governor in his capacity as the chancellor of the universities, points out that the UGC Regulations 2018 shall prevail for the appointment of vice-chancellors.
The UGC Regulations highlight the independence and autonomy of the universities by excluding any role of the state government.
The Kerala High Court judgment, against which the appeal was filed before the Supreme Court, had extensively quoted the UGC Act and referred to various decisions of the Supreme Court.
The UGC has urged the court to make it a party to the proceedings, citing its regulations on the subject matter.

Statistics:

August 18: Date of the Supreme Court order giving the state's chief minister a role in the selection of vice-chancellors.
2023: Year in which the primacy of UGC Regulations vis-à-vis state law was questioned during the appointment of vice-chancellor in the A P J Abdul Kalam Technological University.
2025: Year in which the current controversy arose.

Sources:

Contify.com