Chaos in Kerala University Syndicate over Registrar issue

A Syndicate meeting of the University of Kerala on Friday ended in disorder after Left-affiliated members refused to record their attendance, leading to a lack of quorum.

This prompted Vice-Chancellor (V-C) in-charge Mohanan Kunnummal to adjourn the meeting citing procedural grounds. The meeting, convened after a gap of two months, witnessed intense protests by Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]-backed Syndicate members over the Registrar’s appointment.

Forwarded to Chancellor

The controversy centred around the continuation of Registrar in-charge Resmi R. whose tenure has ended. While the previous Syndicate meeting had reportedly decided to appoint a new Registrar, the V-C apparently forwarded the matter to the Chancellor for concurrence. Since the approval is still pending, the new appointment has not been finalised.

The Left Syndicate members, who raised a ‘point of order’, demanded that the issue be discussed outside the listed agenda and insisted on the immediate appointment of a Registrar. However, the V-C maintained that frequent changes in the Registrar’s position would disrupt the smooth functioning of the university administration. Tensions escalated inside the Syndicate room as both sides stood firm on their positions.

Didn’t mark attendance

The Left-backed members refrained from signing the attendance register, even as the Congress and the BJP representatives marked their attendance. Senior officials, including the Director of Collegiate Education, too were absent from the meeting. As a result, the meeting failed to meet the required quorum, official sources said.

After the adjournment for lunch, the V-C did not return to reconvene the session. Instead, he reportedly instructed university officials to formally record that the meeting stood adjourned due to lack of quorum. With members not signing the attendance register, the proceedings could not be considered officially valid.

After learning that the meeting had been adjourned, the protesting Syndicate members staged a demonstration at the university gates. They alleged that the V-C’s refusal to take up the Registrar’s appointment reflected administrative stubbornness.

Accusing the V-C of spreading falsehoods, CPI(M)-aligned member G. Muralidharan claimed that 19 Syndicate members were present at the meeting and that the V-C had left the meeting since he was unable to respond to questions regarding his “illegal actions.” He also refuted claims that the quorum was not met.

More than 100 agenda items were left unaddressed due to the disruption. These included the awarding of research degrees to several students, allocation of funds for students’ arts and cultural activities such as arts festivals and theatre festivals, and various academic and infrastructure development initiatives, he added.

However, BJP-backed members Vinod Kumar T.G. Nair and P.S. Gopakumar attributed the disruption to a conspiracy by the Left members. They raised questions over the absence of government nominees, including IAS officers who usually attend Syndicate meetings. Their non-participation has sparked speculation whether their absence was part of a larger strategy. Besides, the insistence on changing the Registrar at a critical juncture, particularly when Centrally sponsored projects such as PM-USHA are at a decisive stage, is driven by narrow interests.

Official sources stated that academic matters, including PhD award approvals, would likely be processed using the V-C’s statutory powers.