Kerala removes Governor Arif Mohammad Khan as Vice Chancellor of Kalamandalam University amid row

Image courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: After a huge outbreak, Kerala’s Governor Arif Mohammad Khan has been removed by the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government on Thursday, November 10, 2022, from the position of Vice-Chancellor of Kalamandalam deemed university. The vacated seat shall be filled with an eminent person from the field of Art and Culture. The LDF-led government issued an order amending the rules and regulations of the declared University of Art and Culture, putting action to its assertions that it no longer wants Governor Arif Mohammed Khan as the head of universities in the state.

According to the Kerala Kalamandalam website, Khan is currently the Vice-Chancellor of the university.

The action comes amid the government's ongoing dispute with Khan over the operation of universities in the state, including the nomination of Vice Chancellors, and its announcement that it will issue an ordinance to replace him at the helm of varsities in Kerala with prominent academicians.

Kerala government's decision to replace the VC

The Kerala government on Wednesday decided to come out with an ordinance to replace the Governor as Chancellor of universities and appoint eminent academicians to that post, a move which has been opposed both by the Congress and BJP.

However, as everyone was awaiting the ordinance and speculating whether Khan would promulgate it, the government came out with the order amending the rules and regulations of the deemed university. The move is also a clear indication that the ruling Left has no intention of backing away from its attempt to remove the Governor from the helm of universities in the state. 

Government amended rules

The government order states that in accordance with the University Grants Commission (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations of 2019, the MoA, rules and regulations of the Kerala Kalamandalam deemed university stand amended and the conditions with regard to the post of Chancellor are also modified.

According to the modified clauses, "Chancellor means the Chancellor appointed by the sponsoring body" and that "the Chancellor shall be an eminent person in the field of Art and Culture appointed by the sponsoring body".

The rule regarding the tenure of the Chancellor was also amended. The amended clause on tenure states that "the Chancellor shall hold office for a term of five years from the date of assuming office and shall be eligible for reappointment for one more term, provided no person shall be eligible to hold the office on attaining the age of 75 years".

The amended rules also state that "in the absence of the Chancellor or during his ability to act, the Pro-Chancellor shall exercise all the powers and perform all the functions of the Chancellor".

They also state that the governance system and management structure of the Kerala Kalamandalam shall be in accordance with the decision of the state government.

"The governance system and management structure of Kerala Kalamandalam (Deemed to be University for Art and Culture) shall be in accordance with the decision of the government of Kerala.

"The governance system and management structure of the deemed to be university are as per the provisions contained in these rules and orders issued and to be issued hereinafter by the government of Kerala as and when occasion arises," the amended rules state.

Arif Mohammad Khan's backlash

Earlier on Wednesday, Khan alleged that the vice-chancellors in Kerala universities are appointed not on merit but on the recommendations of the CPIM party, and that is why LDF controls them.

"They were all time interfering in matters of universities which I resented. The interference wasn't related to the development of the universities. It was mostly about the relatives of CPIM leaders in different positions. All of their interest lied in appointments," Khan said.