Kerala Begins Process to Appoint Permanent University VCs Amid Governance Debate

Kerala has begun preliminary steps to appoint permanent vice-chancellors at universities facing leadership vacancies, Higher Education Minister Roji M. John told the state Assembly on Friday.

Replying to a question during Question Hour, John said several universities were yet to appoint permanent vice-chancellors and the government had initiated steps to address the vacancies. He did not name the universities or announce a timeline for completing the appointments.

The minister also addressed the Governor’s role as Chancellor. He said the practice of the Governor intervening in university boards of studies and syndicates had continued for several years, including during the previous CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, and remained a reality.

John rejected Opposition allegations that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government was yielding to an alleged Sangh Parivar agenda to saffronise universities. He said the government would not allow communalisation or ideological polarisation on university campuses.

John said the state government’s objective was to develop Kerala into a sought-after higher education hub and that it would continue implementing programmes towards that goal. His Assembly remarks did not provide details of the universities affected, the selection process or the expected date for appointing permanent vice-chancellors.

Kerala has also been pursuing administrative reforms in higher education. The Kerala Resources for Education Administration and Planning (K-REAP) initiative, implemented through the Kerala State Higher Education Council, aims to integrate university and college services, including admissions, examinations and student records, through digital systems. The programme is intended to improve service delivery and administrative coordination.

A higher education initiatives report has outlined infrastructure development through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) and projects under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA). These figures relate to existing programmes and do not represent new allocations announced in the Assembly on Friday.