 "Kerala cabinet intends ordinance to remove Guv Arif Mohammad Khan as Chancellor of Universities")
synopsis
The proposed ordinance by the Law Department was discussed at the Cabinet meeting. As Chancellor of Universities, Arif Mohammed Khan had issued show-cause notices to the VCs of 11 state universities, which the VCs had challenged in court, claiming that the notice was illegal and void.
The Kerala cabinet, on Wednesday, decided to pass an ordinance to remove Governor Arif Mohammed Khan from his position as chancellor of the state universities. As per sources, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government intends to replace the chancellor with an expert.
The proposed ordinance by the Law Department was discussed at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. As Chancellor of Universities, Khan issued show-cause notices to the VCs of 11 state universities, which the VCs had challenged in court, claiming that the notice was illegal and void.
On October 21, the Supreme Court overturned the appointment of the vice-chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, ruling that the search committee set up by the state had been required by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to recommend a panel of at least three qualified individuals in the field of engineering science to the chancellor, but had instead sent just one name.
Based on it, Khan demanded the resignations of VCs who were the only candidates nominated for the appointment and those chosen by a committee that included the state's chief secretary, accusing them of violating UGC rules.
The legal advisor to the Governor of Kerala and the standing counsel to the Chancellor of Universities in the state resigned on Tuesday.
Senior advocate K Jaju Babu, appointed as the Governor's honorary legal advisor in February 2009, and advocate M U Vijayalakshmi, the chancellor's standing counsel, both resigned.
Both are from the same law firm, Babu and Babu, and were representing the Governor in the ongoing litigation in the Kerala High Court in connection with Governor Arif Mohammad Khan's action against the Kerala University Senate and Vice-Chancellors of 11 universities in the state.
"For reasons known to you, the time has come for me to vacate my position," Jaju Babu wrote in his letter to the Governor. "Thank you so much for the professional and personal development opportunities you have provided me as an honorary legal advisor during your tenure," said Jaju Babu.
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