Professorship to retired teachers: Governor seeks explanation from Calicut University VC

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has sought an explanation within seven days from the Calicut University Vice-Chancellor into the reports that the university has granted professorship to a bunch of retired teachers in a bid to enable Higher Education Minister R Bindu to get professorship with retrospective effect.

The Syndicate meeting of the Calicut University to be held on Saturday, Jan 29, will discuss the letter sent by the Governor on the issue.

This is one of the first files in which the Governor took a decision since he resumed his duties as the Chancellor after having a running feud with the government for the last many months.

Save University Campaign Committee led by RS Sasikumar gave a complaint to the Governor, alleging that the university had violated the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations by granting professorship to the retired teachers. It pointed out that the State Government had issued orders making it mandatory that only those who are in service could be considered for appointment as Professors.

The University of Kerala, citing regulations, had earlier rejected the demand for granting professorship to the retired teachers with retrospective effect. The government and the Calicut University have no right to violate regulations, the committee said.

Minister Bindu took voluntary retirement from service when she was working as a teacher of English at the Sree Kerala Varma College in Thrissur in order to fight the last Assembly elections from the Irinjalakuda constituency.

After being embroiled in a controversy over tagging the word "Professor" along with her name during the swearing-in ceremony as a minister, the State Government later issued a gazette notification removing "Professor" from Bindu's name.