Kochi: The Kerala High Court has stayed the syndicate's decision to regularise temporary employees at the Calicut University.

Appointments to the non-teaching posts at the Universities were left to the Public Service Commission (PSC) and special rules were formulated for this. Therefore, the authority to carry out the appointment is vested in the PSC.

However, the Calicut University had on December 30 issued an order to regularise the services of over 35 daily-wage employees, who reportedly did not have the required qualification. These employees had been working in posts such as driver, computer programmer, plumber and electrician for over 10 years. A section of the syndicate members had opposed the regularisation of temporary staff, while pointing out the Supreme Court order that barred regularising posts to which the PSC made the appointments.

The HC division bench, comprising Justice A M Shafeeq and Justice P Gopinath, stayed the syndicate’s decision on Wednesday.

The HC made it clear that the employees, whose appointments were made permanent, would continue to be temporary staff. The division bench also pointed out that the syndicate's action was in violation of the verdict of the SC Constitutional bench.