Govt can't interfere in varsity affairs: Governor - Times of India
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Govt can't interfere in varsity affairs: Governor - Times of India
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, in his capacity as the chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, has expressed dismay over the interventions made by the state higher education department in the conduct of vital affairs in the university.
Disposing a petition submitted by Save University Campaign committee challenging the KTU decision to facilitate a second valuation chance to a student, following the intervention by the higher education minister K T Jaleel, the governor said the government over stepped into the realm of university and warned university authorities to safeguard the varsity’s autonomy.
It was alleged that the minister, through higher education secretary, had directed the university to conduct an adalat and following the direct intervention of the minister, the university facilitated a second valuation of the answer book of a BTech student whose request for the same were rejected by the university on several occasions. The decision to conduct a second revaluation as ultra-varies was the contention the committee placed before the governor.
“The university is an autonomous body, therefore, the state government will not be entitled to interfere with the internal administration of the university notwithstanding the fact that the state government is the funding body until and unless the university statutes provide for the same or there is any act of legislation conferring that power on the state government… I have no hesitation to state that the constitution of a file adalat organizing committee was clearly against the provisions of the Act, and thereby an illegal act on the part of the university authorities done without any authority conferred under law,” the governor said.
“However, whatever things happed has happened and considering the fair stand adopted by the learned counsel for the petitioners, I do not propose to go into the merits of the decision taken by the adalat. At the same time, I make it abundantly clear that henceforth all the affairs in the university must be conducted as prescribed under law and that there shall be no extra-legal mechanism bypassing the established rules and procedures. The university, its authorities and its statutory offers are to scrupulously follow the well laid-down rules and regulations in true spirit,” the governor said.
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