Court Ruling: Kerala Governor's VC Appointments Overturned

The Kerala High Court has dismissed writ petitions contesting a previous judgment that invalidated temporary Vice-Chancellor appointments at APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and Kerala Digital University. This is a significant blow to the Kerala Governor, who also serves as the Chancellor of major state universities.

The court's decision stems from procedural lapses in the appointments, which did not comply with the legal norms outlined in the respective University Acts and UGC regulations. The appointments were initially made by the Chancellor in late 2024, citing powers to temporarily fill the positions in the absence of regular VCs.

This verdict comes as a relief to the state's CPI(M)-led government, which has been in conflict with the Governor over university administration. The court urged swift, lawful appointments to resolve administrative deadlock, underlining the importance of transparency and adherence to UGC guidelines in the education sector.

(With inputs from agencies.)