Sanskrit varsity Syndicate decides to go ahead with faculty recruitment, KCA cricket stadium project

A Syndicate meeting of the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit (SSUS), Kalady, held on Tuesday decided to proceed with the recruitment of Assistant Professors and the cricket stadium project in association with the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA).

The meeting assumed significance as Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who is also the Chancellor of the varsity, had earlier directed the authorities to put on hold the recruitment of permanent Assistant Professors based on a 2021 notification. The members of the Syndicate nominated by the Chancellor and the Save University Campaign Committee (SUCC) had alleged that the Left-backed members were acting in haste as they intended to complete the process before the Assembly elections.

The authorities will now inform the Chancellor that the powers to recruit faculty members are vested with the Syndicate. The Syndicate will also submit that the Chancellor lacked the powers to freeze recruitment, they said. The Syndicate members nominated by the Chancellor recorded their dissent against the decision to go ahead with the recruitment. The varsity authorities said the Chancellor has asked Vice-Chancellor K.K. Geethakumary to meet him with the files related to the recruitment on February 19.

The Syndicate also decided to brief the Chancellor about the cricket stadium project involving the KCA. The authorities will inform him that the cricketing body will have only land use rights. The KCA will set up a football ground and sports hostel facility for students on the campus as part of the agreement, they said.

The SUCC had accused the authorities and a few Syndicate members of aiding their commercial interests by joining hands with a private agency like the KCA.