Kerala: Prez gives the government a jolt a day after the boost and refuses to sign three university bills

President Droupadi Murmu withheld his consent to three bills, one of which sought to remove the governor from the position of chancellor of state universities, dealing a setback to the state government’s attempts to limit the governor’s authority in issues pertaining to universities. Experts said that the Bills had essentially struck a dead end.

In November of last year, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan sent seven bills to the President, after a Supreme Court petition filed by the state government accusing him of unduly delaying the passage of the bills. The Raj Bhavan announced in a news statement on Thursday that the President had “withheld assent” to the Bills that expanded the search committee’s reach for vice-chancellor selections, removed the governor from the position of chancellor, and made modifications to the technical university.

The Raj Bhavan said that while the President has ratified the Kerala Lokayukta Amendment Bill, 2022, a decision on the other three Bills is still pending.

Not a nod

The Laws of Kerala University [No. 2 Amendment] [Removing the Governor from the role of University Chancellor] The purpose of Bill 2022 was to limit the governor’s authority in state varsities. It made it possible for the government to name academicians, or “persons of eminence,” as chancellors of different institutions in a variety of subject areas.

A five-member panel was suggested to replace the current three-member search committee in University Law Amendment Bill, 2022 (Expansion of search committee for the appointment of VC). A candidate from the state higher education council and the government were included, in addition to the chancellor and university nominations. The action was taken to give the government more influence over venture capitalist choices.

The third piece of legislation to be rejected ratification dealt with the appellate tribunal and other changes to Technological University.