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Thiruvananthapuram, March 30 (). Vice-Chancellor in-charge of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) Dr. Seeja Thomas has become a victim of the ongoing tussle between the Governor and Chancellor of the state’s universities Arif Mohammed Khan and the Kerala government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Seeja was asked by the Governor to take over as VC in-charge of KTU last year after the Supreme Court verdict that the incumbent VC had to step down for not being appointed as per UGC guidelines.
But the Vijayan government was unhappy with the appointment of Seeja Thomas and approached the Kerala High Court against his appointment, as Khan had not appointed the person recommended by the government.
However, the court upheld the appointment of Seeja, who was serving as senior joint director in the Directorate of Technical Education, and was given the additional charge of working as VC in-charge.
Ever since he took over as the in-charge VC, he has been facing stiff opposition from ruling CPI(M)’s student wing SFI and CPI(M)-backed service organisations.
Following non-cooperation from the KTU office staff, Cija Thomas had to send a handwritten message to the chancellor to inform her that she had assumed office.
Later the government issued a show cause notice to Seeja and based on the petition filed in the Kerala Administrative Tribunal on Thursday, the in-charge VC said that he had done nothing wrong, only listened to the Chancellor’s direction, so the notice should be quashed. Needed
The tribunal ruled that the notice cannot be quashed, but directed that Cija Thomas should be heard by the government.
Incidentally, Thomas is retiring from service on Friday, but in the last days she has become a scapegoat in the tussle between the two power centres.
SGK/ANM
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