Bliss’s Limit: The Hindu Editorial on Kerala Governor-Government Controversy

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan declared that he is Taking back his joy as Finance Minister KN Balagopal is concerned. He expects constitutionally appropriate action by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. In other words, Mr. Khan wants Mr. Balagopal to be sacked. Comments That he sees as anti-national, undermining national unity and provoking regionalism. However, Mr. Vijayan has rejected the demand. It is difficult to agree with the Governor’s assessment that the observation that those who had only seen universities in Uttar Pradesh would not understand the universities of Kerala is anti-national or against national integration. Under normal circumstances, when the Governor expresses his displeasure at the conduct of a minister, it will have considerable persuasive value. However, in the backdrop of the unbroken acrimony between the Raj Bhavan and the Cabinet, it may not have elicited any serious reaction. Needless to say, the polite phrase in the Constitution that invokes the principle of happiness for the term of a minister is nothing more than a reference to the Chief Minister’s desire on the continuation or dismissal of a member of his Council of Ministers.

However, this constitutional position does not mean that the underlying controversy over the appointment of vice-chancellors in Kerala universities can be dismissed. After Supreme Court quashes appointment in APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Thiruvananthapuram, Mr Khan directed nine other vice-chancellors to resign, following what he felt were similar legal loopholes in his appointment. He contended that as was the case with the apex court, these V-Cs were also appointed either by the search committees by submitting a single name (instead of the panel of three to five names required under the University Grants) commission. Rules), or elected by committees that included the Chief Secretary of the State. The Governor/Vice Chancellor was clearly wrong in setting a shorter deadline for his resignation, and he later changed the communication to a show cause notice, asking him to explain why his appointments should not be considered invalid. . It is a separate legal question whether the decision in the case of one VC automatically applies to all others. However, given its potential for litigation, the sooner the university laws in Kerala are brought in line with the UGC norms, the better. However, there is no doubt that the Governor-Vice-Chancellors should not encroach on their statutory powers to handle the affairs of the University with their constitutional role in the Raj Bhavan. This contention makes a good case for why governors, whose openly political work is an uncomfortable fact of political life, should not be entrusted with the task of being chancellors.