Kerala Governor Removes Sanskrit University Vice-Chancellor
In a significant administrative move on Thursday, Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who serves as Chancellor of all state universities, removed K.K. Geethakumary from her position as Vice-Chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kalady. The decision came into force immediately, according to an official communication from the Raj Bhavan, though no specific reason was cited for her removal in the notification.
New Responsibility Assigned
Following the Governor’s directive, Ciza Thomas, who currently holds the position of Vice-Chancellor at APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, has been entrusted with the additional charge of heading the Sanskrit university. This interim arrangement will remain effective until further orders are issued.
Attempts to reach a university spokesperson for comment on the development proved unsuccessful, as no response was received despite multiple efforts.
Prior Controversy Over Student Results
The removal comes on the heels of a controversy that surfaced last month involving the university’s decision-making. The Governor had intervened to halt a resolution passed by the university’s Syndicate concerning a student who had been declared passed after initially failing.
The case involved a student named A. Kalesh, who reportedly failed his Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) examination in 2005. Despite this setback, he was later admitted to the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program, which he completed in 2023. Subsequently, the Syndicate decided to award Kalesh the BFA degree as a special case. Reports indicate that Kalesh has affiliations with the SFI student organization.
This decision drew opposition, prompting the Save University Campaign Committee to file a complaint with the state government regarding the matter.
Allegations Regarding Appointments and Land Allocation
The same campaign committee had also lodged another complaint with the Governor against the Vice-Chancellor. This complaint alleged that Geethakumary had violated directives that restricted the recruitment of assistant professors, with accusations suggesting she proceeded with faculty appointments ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
In response to these allegations, Governor Arlekar had imposed a ban on faculty recruitment at the university last month.
Additional accusations were leveled against the Vice-Chancellor, including claims that she allocated university land for the construction of a cricket stadium, allegedly in violation of established norms.
Amidst these multiple controversies, the Governor’s decision to remove the Vice-Chancellor has been implemented, although the official reasoning behind the move has not yet been publicly disclosed by the Raj Bhavan.
