Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan made a noteworthy statement on Thursday, alleging that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan exerted pressure on him to reappoint Gopinath Ravindran as the Vice Chancellor of Kannur University. In a conversation with reporters, Governor Khan clarified that State Higher Education Minister R Bindu should not be held responsible, as the Chief Minister utilized her to advocate for the reappointment of Ravindran.

The Governor’s remarks come in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate the Kerala government’s resolution to reinstate Ravindran as the VC of Kannur University. Last year, a division bench of the Kerala High Court had dismissed an appeal against a single-judge order, asserting that Ravindran’s reappointment adhered to legal protocols and he was not an “usurper to the post.”

In its recent judgment, the Supreme Court set aside the impugned judgment and the high court’s order, thereby nullifying the notification dated November 23, 2021, which had reappointed Ravindran as the Vice Chancellor of Kannur University.

This legal development raises questions about the governance dynamics and administrative decisions surrounding educational institutions in Kerala, prompting discussions about the influence of political figures on university appointments.

Source: PTI

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