Case will come up for detailed hearing on 31 August, while bill will be taken up in the Assembly on Wednesday.
Priya Varghese's appointment in Kannur University has led to an open clash between the LDF government and Governor Khan. (Supplied)
A day after Governor Arif Mohammad Khan announced an expert commission to probe nepotism in the state’s universities under the ruling LDF, the Kerala High Court on Monday, 22 August, stayed the appointment of Priya Varghese as associate professor in the Malayalam Department of Kannur University.
Varghese is the wife of former Rajya Sabha member KK Ragesh, who also happens to be private secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Five days ago, Khan had frozen her appointment, kicking up a major political row.
Justice Devan Ramachandran passed the order on a petition filed by Joseph Scariah — the person who was ranked second behind Varghese in the recruitment process — and issued notices to the Governor, vice-chancellor, Selection Committee chairman, and the state government.
The court, suo moto, made the University Grants Commission a party to the case and issued it a notice as well.
In his petition, Scariah sought a restructuring of the rank list, and deletion of Varghese’s candidature as she came first through manipulation and not by completing due process. The court said the case would be heard in detail on 31 August.
Advocates P Santharam, PG Gokulnath and Rekha Aravind, who appeared for Scariah, sought a directive to Kannur University and its Selection Committee to rework the rank by removing Varghese.
The petitioner also argued Varghese was not qualified to be called for the interview as she did not have the requisite teaching experience. Despite this, she was interviewed, and the Selection Committee gave her first rank.
The court action has further cemented the charges of Governor Khan that favouritism and nepotism are ruling the roost in Kerala’s higher education sector under LDF rule.
The court order, which is being seen as a boost to the Governor in his battle with the ruling LDF, came on a day the Vijayan announced that a bill curtailing the Governor’s powers as Chancellor of 13 universities in the state would be tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday, August 24.
The 10-day special session of the Assembly began on Monday. It has been called to pass 11 ordinances that lapsed on 8 August after Governor Khan refused to repromulgate them. The session may also take up other ordinances and enact legislation.
Many of the ordinances were promulgated during the Covid pandemic when the Assembly could not sit.
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