Latest news with #KeralaUniversity
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Slow response risks long-term pollution
Thiruvananthapuram : The millions of plastic pellets that began to wash ashore along the state's southern coast two days ago from the sunken cargo ship MSC Elsa 3 can cause long-term pollution as authorities failed to act quickly to contain the spill. The authorities have so far focussed on containing the oil leak and recovering containers, most of them empty, that drifted ashore. Nine empty containers were recovered from the sea along the Thiruvananthapuram coast. Strong waves and monsoon winds broke open the sacks, scattering the pellets in the sea and along the coast at Vizhinjam, Thumba, Shangumugham and other areas. Sources said the authorities should have assessed the contents in the containers of the sunken ship and should have tried to contain the spread to the shore. The pellets, made of PET plastic, are not toxic but non-biodegradable. On Wednesday, the corporation's sweepers attempted to clear the pellets from Shangumugham's coastal road but made no effort to address the accumulation on the beach. By Thursday, volunteers from Harita Karma Sena resorted to scooping up pellets mixed with sand, filling buckets and sacks. Meanwhile, authorities have shown no clear strategy for removing the pellets still floating at sea. Fishermen say the presence of sea walls, which trap the pellets, makes comprehensive removal nearly impossible. A Biju Kumar, head of the department of Aquatic Biology, Kerala University, said the plastic pellets may cause long-term pollution. "Only a small portion seems to have come to the shore; all kinds of fish can consume them. The solution is to monitor the fish and look for chemical presence in the long term." Steps are being taken to clear them, but it is a challenge, he added. Robert Panipilla of Friends of Marine Life (FML) said the pellets look like eggs of squid and fishes are likely to eat them. "Pellets are floating in the water now. The longer they remain in the water, biomass will form on them, and they can sink due to their weight. Fish can think it is food." In other countries, floating barriers or booms would be deployed to contain such materials, he said. As no major oil spill has occurred and no slick has been found near shore, the state govt has declared that fish remains safe to eat. Heavy rain and strong waves have affected pollution containment measures, even as the govt is planning to survey the after-effects of the shipwreck.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Kerala University faculty member's promotion: Syndicate defends body's decision
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A section of Syndicate members of Kerala University has defended the varsity body's decision to recommend promotion of assistant professor S Naseeb, also a pro-Left Syndicate member, to the post of associate professor. The decision was annulled by Governor Rajendra Arlekar in his capacity as Chancellor on Monday on the grounds that it was against UGC regulations. In a joint statement, 14 Syndicate members, most of them Left-affiliated, said the university has implemented the UGC regulation that valid contract service can also be considered for promotion. They said it was on directives of the Kerala High Court that Naseeb was permitted to apply for promotion. Besides, the Syndicate had also sought legal opinion on the matter before taking a decision. 'The Syndicate had only decided to inform the High Court that Naseeb's application for promotion can be considered based on earlier court orders on the matter and also on the basis of the report of the academic committee,' the Syndicate members said. However, the Vice-Chancellor unilaterally referred the matter to the Chancellor (governor), they alleged. In his order, the governor said it was found that Naseeb had included his tenure of more than a year as lecturer on temporary basis to his overall service period while applying for promotion. However, he was drawing remuneration lesser than a regularly appointed faculty at that time. According to the governor, this constituted a violation of UGC regulations. The governor reminded the Syndicate that it is bound to follow the norms fixed by the UGC and no power is vested with it to exempt or exclude such norms. Arlekar said he was annulling the Syndicate's decision by invoking the powers vested in him under Section 7(3) of the Kerala University Act.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Governor cancels Kerala University syndicate's decision to promote pro-CPM functionary
T'puram: Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has cancelled Kerala University syndicate's decision to promote pro-CPM teachers' union functionary S Naseeb as an associate professor, allegedly violating university and UGC norms. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The syndicate's decision to consider the contract appointment period of the candidate in Sanskrit University for the promotion had sparked controversy earlier. A special meeting of the university syndicate on May 5, convened to discuss the governor's show-cause notice regarding the appointment, decided to ignore the notice and stick to the decision to promote the candidate. However, the university vice-chancellor (VC) Mohanan Kunnummal and opposition members in the syndicate opposed the move. Kunnummal pointed out that accepting the contract appointment period as teaching experience for promotion, contrary to UGC regulations, would necessitate a retrospective review of many current teachers' promotions. Only previous teaching experience with a salary equivalent to the assistant professor position should be considered for promotion, according to the regulations, the VC pointed out. Naseeb's temporary appointment at the Sanskrit University was at a salary lower than that of an assistant professor. Meanwhile, Naseeb approached the high court questioning the VC's stance of not implementing the syndicate's decision, but the court directed the governor to make a decision. Save University Campaign Committee alleged that the decision to lower the qualifications for the post of pro vice-chancellor (PVC) from professor to associate professor in the recently passed university amendment bill was to appoint Naseeb as PVC. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Hence CPM members in the syndicate took a stand to bypass UGC regulations for promotion, the committee said. It also submitted a petition to the governor and VC requesting the prevention of Naseeb's unauthorised promotion. Meanwhile, the state govt submitted a list of candidates to Raj Bhavan to be considered for appointment as interim VCs of Digital and Technological universities. The high court recently ruled that the appointment of interim VCs should be made from the list of candidates prepared by the state govt. Former governor Arif Mohammed Khan appointed Ciza Thomas and K Sivaprasad as the interim VCs of Digital and Technological universities respectively against the state govt's preference.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Chancellor annuls Kerala University Syndicate's promotion decision
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who also serves as the Chancellor of Kerala University, annulled a Syndicate decision to promote S. Nazeeb, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kerala Studies. Dr. Nazeeb, who is also a Syndicate member, is the general secretary of the Left-leaning Federation of University Teachers' Associations (FUTA). An order issued by the Kerala Raj Bhavan found the decision to be in violation of University Grants Commission (UGC) norms. The Syndicate had accepted Dr. Nazeeb's petition 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 decision was made despite the opposition from Vice-Chancellor (in-charge) Mohanan Kunnummal. A recent meeting of the Syndicate, convened to discuss a show-cause notice issued by the Chancellor on the issue, also maintained that there was no need to review its decision. The CPI(M)-backed members reportedly rejected the Chancellor's observations regarding the decision. The particular issue has been a bone of contention that has escalated tensions between the Vice-Chancellor and the Left-backed Syndicate members for several months.
The Hindu
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kerala University Syndicate members slam Vice-Chancellor over branding students ‘anti-nationals'
Kerala University's Left-backed Syndicate members on Wednesday condemned Vice-Chancellor (in-charge) Mohanan Kunnummal for allegedly branding its students 'anti-nationals' over a WhatsApp post related to a cancelled seminar. Syndicate Standing Committee on Finance convener G. Muraleedharan described the purported remarks as deeply irresponsible and unbecoming of the office of a Vice-Chancellor. In a statement, Mr. Muraleedharan explained that the issue arose after a student from the university's Department of Tamil shared an article published in a Tamil magazine on a departmental WhatsApp group. 'The article, which dealt with the politics of war, was wrongly interpreted and circulated as linked to a non-existent seminar. Upon assessing the matter, the Head of the Department instructed the student to delete the post. No such event was conducted,' he stated. Despite there being no formal complaint, the Vice-Chancellor allegedly acted on misinformation from vested interests and made public remarks, accusing students of engaging in anti-national activities. These statements, the Syndicate members asserted, have tarnished the university's reputation. 'The Vice-Chancellor hastily drew conclusions and made serious accusations, turning a students forum into a political flashpoint. All Syndicate members, except two affiliated to the BJP, jointly expressed their protest against the Vice-Chancellor's actions [on Tuesday]. The Syndicate strongly criticised him for becoming a tool for those seeking to spread misinformation and disturb campus harmony at a time when the nation is collectively combating extremism,' Mr. Muraleedharan lamented. He added that any departmental seminar or conference requires prior approval and adhere to established protocols.
