Appointment of K Sivaprasad as temporary vice-chancellor of technological university is not sustainable in law: Kerala high court
Kochi/Thrissur: High court has held that the appointment of
K Sivaprasad
as the
temporary vice-chancellor
(VC) of
APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University
(KTU) by the chancellor is not sustainable in law, as it was made without the recommendation of the state govt, contrary to the provisions of the University Act.
The judgment, delivered by Justice P Gopinath, came while considering a petition by the state govt challenging the notification issued by the then chancellor, Arif Muhamed Khan, in Nov 2024. HC observed that sub-section (7) of Section 13 of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University Act, 2015, mandates that the power to appoint a temporary VC must be exercised only on the recommendation of the state govt.
The state had contended that Sivaprasad, a professor at Cochin University, was appointed in violation of this requirement.
Agreeing with the state's argument, HC held that the impugned notification was legally unsustainable. However, noting that the statutory tenure for a temporary VC is limited to six months, and that Sivaprasad's term is set to expire on May 27, HC declined to interfere with the notification at this stage.
The court directed the state govt to recommend to the chancellor the names of individuals who possess the qualifications prescribed under the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations, for appointment as temporary VC pending the selection of a regular appointee.
It further clarified that the UGC Regulations on Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges, 2018, would govern such appointments.
Meanwhile, higher education minister R Bindu welcomed the HC order. She said that the former chancellor had repeatedly violated the rules in the Act, despite the court directives to follow the rule. Chancellor is expected to abide by the laws which he himself cleared as Governor. Such a situation where the courts have to remind him of this important convention, is something that must be avoided, Bindu added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Mutual understanding among political class should continue: RSS chief
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said the mutual understanding shown by the political class following the Pahalgam terror attack and action taken by India later should continue and become a permanent feature. The society also gave a message of unity, Bhagwat said, addressing the concluding event of the Karyakarta Vikas Varg for RSS volunteers. After the heinous terror attack, people were sad and angry and wanted the culprits to be punished. Action was taken and punishment was meted out, Bhagwat said. Everyone saw the grit of our country's decision makers in the action taken after the Pahalgam terror attack, he said. Action was taken after the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam. The valour of our army shone once again in it. The firmness of the administration was also seen. The political class also showed mutual understanding. The society also gave the message of its unity. This should remain continue and be a permanent feature, he said. India should be self-dependent in matters of our security, he said. Without naming Pakistan, Bhagwat said, Those who can't win a direct fight with India want to bleed our country by the policy of a thousand cuts and waging proxy war. Tribal leader Arvind Netam, who served in the cabinets of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and P V Narasimha Rao, was the chief guest at the concluding ceremony of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's volunteer training camp. The 25-day training camp, Karyakarta Vikas Varg Dwitiya, in which 840 volunteers from across the country participated, began on May 12 at Dr Hedgewar Smriti Mandir located in Reshimbag area of Nagpur. Netam, who hails from Chhattisgarh, said no state government has so far taken the issue of religious conversions seriously. I think RSS is the only institution which can help us in this area, he said. The RSS should pressure Central government to come out with an action plan after Naxalism ends, to ensure that the menace does not revive, he said. Netam said no government implemented the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996. The Central government is mum and even helping the industrialists, he added. The PESA Act aims to ensure self-governance in tribal areas through Gram Sabhas, empowering them to manage resources and make decisions related to their communities.
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
World Environment Day 2025: India has slew of regulations to protect Blue Planet. Know about them
Today, millions worldwide are observing World Environment Day 2025, highlighting the urgent need for eco-legal action. Hosted by South Korea, the UN event drives home how local laws can combat environmental threats. There are multiple initiatives that have been taken across the world regarding the better protection of the environment. For starters, cities like Jeju, South Korea, now enforce strict bans on disposable plastics. Jeju's 2040 "plastic-free" goal includes deposit systems for cups and mandatory waste sorting. Similar bans are expanding globally, cutting landfill waste. The United States is not behind in this aspect, as US cities are rewriting zoning codes to boost sustainability. Buffalo eliminated parking minimums, prioritising walkability over cars. Indianapolis now mandates pedestrian-friendly designs near transit hubs, reducing emissions, according to Urban Land Magazine. In a report by the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP's Inger Andersen was quoted as saying, 'Ending plastic pollution is possible, but we need systemic change—governments, businesses, and citizens together.' Bivas Chatterjee, Advocate and Special Public Prosecutor, Government of West Bengal, tells LiveMint, "We, as humans, must remember that trees too, have a life. If humans are convicted for taking away lives under sections of the law, why are those, who cut down trees brutally, not tried under similar laws? If trees are cut down or uprooted in areas that are not forests, the accused is simply fined, and no other penalisation is generally imposed." "The existing laws regarding environmental protection in India are age-old and relatively weak, which is why the attack on nature is so brutally conducted in recent years. Stringent laws need to be in place so that people do not get away with harming the environment, which is necessary for our sustenance in the long run." Neil Basu, Advocate, Calcutta High Court, weighed in on the existing laws in the country regarding the proper preservation of the environment. "Protecting the environment is a fundamental right and a collective social responsibility, as environmental justice is social justice. So, let's act now," he told LiveMint. "If we start in terms of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, any person running any establishment which includes a factory and any kind of industry must take due permission from the State Pollution Control Board as well as the Central Pollution Control Board concerned," Basu said. "Section 7 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 prohibits the discharge or emission of environmental pollutants in excess of prescribed standards by any person involved in an industry, operation, or process. This ensures that pollution levels remain within acceptable limits and prevent any environmental damage," he continued. Other laws include the Indian Forest Act, 1927, which empowers the state governments to notify forest areas to oversee the wildlife conservation and preservation, as well as plantation and afforestation. Also, Section 17A of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 prohibits the willful picking, uprooting, damaging, destroying, acquisition, or collection of any specified plant from forest land or other areas notified by the central government.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Chellanam coastal erosion: Kerala HC seeks report on temporary measures taken
Kochi: High court has sought instructions from the state govt and Chellanam panchayat regarding temporary measures to protect residents of the Chellanam coastal area from sea erosion during this monsoon. The bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji also directed the authorities to report on the feasibility of placing Geo bags/tubes to prevent sea inundation. The court then adjourned the PIL filed by T A Dalfine and two other local residents to Tuesday. In compliance with an earlier HC directive, officials from the district administration and the irrigation department appeared in court, and the deputy collector's report was produced. After reviewing the report, the bench remarked that emergency shelters are not a lasting solution. When HC asked about installing Geo bags/tubes, the state submitted that completion would take two months, to which the court responded that the monsoon would be over by then. The petitioners added that although installation of Geo tubes had begun after local protests, the work was later abandoned; so far, Geo bags have been laid along 7.35km of shoreline. The court adjourned the matter to Tuesday, directing all stakeholders, including the state, to propose short-term measures to curb sea erosion at Chellanam.
