Governor Arif Khan starts procedure to sack nine VCs, sends show cause notices

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Monday said he has sent show cause notices to vice-chancellors of nine universities to explain why he must not remove them from the post.

They have time till November 3 to reply to the notice.

Khan made the announcement in a press conference held here to retaliate to the chief minister’s comments. Earlier, CM Pinarayi Vijayan had slammed the governor for his seeking of resignation of the vice-chancellors over the Supreme Court verdict on APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University VC.

Governor Khan on Sunday demanded the resignation of VCs of University of Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi University, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kannur University, APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit , University of Calicut and Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University.

He had given the vice-chancellors time till 11.30 am on Monday to submit their resignation. None of them abided by it.

Technological University VC was removed recently by the SC citing violation of UGC norms. Khan argued that the norms were violated in appointments of eight other universities as well. Four of them were appointed by Khan himself.