Kerala has begun preliminary steps to appoint permanent vice-chancellors across state universities, Higher Education Minister Roji M John informed the state Assembly. The move aims to address vacancies in university leadership as the government works towards strengthening the state's higher education system and developing Kerala into a leading education hub.
Responding to a question during Question Hour, John said several universities were yet to appoint permanent vice-chancellors and that the government had initiated steps to address the vacancies. However, the minister did not specify a timeline for completing the appointments in the statement provided.
The issue of university administration and the role of the governor, who serves as chancellor of state universities, also featured in the minister's remarks. John said the governor's involvement in university boards of studies and syndicates had been a longstanding practice in Kerala, particularly during the previous CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government's tenure. He added that such involvement continued.
The minister also rejected Opposition allegations that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government was yielding to what the Opposition described as a Sangh Parivar-driven saffronisation agenda in universities. John said the government would not allow communalisation or attempts to create ideological polarisation on university campuses.
Taking aim at the previous LDF government, the minister said the current administration was not prepared to resolve university-related issues through secret discussions behind closed doors. His comments came amid broader political debate over university governance, institutional decision-making and the role of political authorities in higher education.
John said the state government's mission was to make Kerala a sought-after destination for higher education and that it would continue implementing programmes to achieve this goal. The appointment of permanent vice-chancellors is an important administrative issue because university leadership plays a role in academic planning, institutional management and the implementation of educational policies.
The announcement signals that the government has started addressing vacant leadership positions, but further details will be needed to establish which universities will receive appointments first and when the process will be completed. Students, faculty members and other stakeholders will be watching for official notifications and updates on the next steps.
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