The Kerala government amended the university’s rules on Thursday to remove Governor Arif Mohammad Khan from his position as chancellor, adding to the ongoing conflict between the Raj Bhavan and the ruling Left Democratic Front.
The government has decided to modify the executive order issued in 2015 designating the governor as chancellor of Kerala Kalamandalam, a deemed-to-be university devoted to performing arts in the Thrissur district, according to a notification by the state’s department of culture.
It also stated that the chancellor would be a prominent figure in the arts.
The action was taken a day after the state cabinet made the decision to promulgate an ordinance that would remove the governor from his or her position as president of the 13 state universities. The governor had promised to send the ordinance to the President for review as soon as it was ready.
Of course, since Kerala Kalamandalam is a deemed-to-be university and does not fall under the purview of the University Grants Commission, the governor’s approval is not necessary in this particular case (UGC).
According to the notification, “Kerala Kalamandalam will not be appointed by the sponsoring body and the earlier clause will take its place.”
Now, the sponsoring body shall appoint an accomplished individual from the field of art and culture as chancellor.
According to its website, governor Khan is currently the Kerala Kalamandalam’s chancellor, and the state government is the organisation that sponsors it. The notification effectively gave the state government control over the university’s governance and management structure.
Not until late on Thursday night did either the Raj Bhavan or the governor issue a statement.
If Khan does not sign the ordinance to remove the governor from the position of running state universities, the government will call a session of the legislative assembly for next month, according to Kerala’s minister for higher education R Bindu.
