Kerala University on Monday reversed its earlier decision to hire retired teachers, choosing instead to appoint contract lecturers from a contentious rank list.
The volte face comes just days after Vice-Chancellor in-charge Mohanan Kunnummal had announced plans to recruit retired college teachers as adjunct faculty, despite strong opposition from the Communist Party of India-dominated Syndicate.
During a Syndicate meeting on Monday, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) camp within the body imposed its will through a majority vote in favour of hiring contract lecturers. Fourteen LDF members endorsed the decision, while two BJP members opposed it. The Congress representative, however, chose to maintain a neutral stance.
The decision, though, remains contingent on the outcome of an ongoing case in the Kerala High Court.
The rank list under consideration was prepared by a selection committee to appoint 12 lecturers on a contractual basis for 11 subjects in the university’s four-year undergraduate programmes. The list became controversial as Syndicate member J.S. Shijukhan, who lacked any teaching experience, was included in the panel. BJP-backed Syndicate member P.S. Gopakumar subsequently approached the High Court seeking a stay on the process.
In another development highlighting the internal tensions in the university’s governance, the Vice-Chancellor refused to grant approval to a request by Syndicate member S. Nazeeb intended to strengthen his promotion prospects. Dr. Nazeeb, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kerala Studies, had petitioned the Syndicate to have his nearly 18-month period of contract service at the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit counted towards his Career Advancement Scheme as ‘past service’ for promotion as Associate Professor. The Vice-Chancellor expressed concern over the precedent that the move would have on promotions in the future, and indicated that the matter might be referred to the Governor for further review.
The Syndicate approved a demand to rename the Bachelor of Performing Arts at Sree Swathi Thirunal Government College of Music as BA Music, following demands from students and graduates who highlighted difficulties in job prospects due to the nomenclature.
Published - November 11, 2024 10:41 pm IST
