Plea In Kerala High Court Challenges Appointment Of IAS Officer B Ashok As Agricultural University's Vice Chancellor
The Kerala High Court has issued notice on a writ petition questioning the qualifications of IAS officer Dr B Ashok who was appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Kerala Agricultural University earlier this year.The plea has been moved by a member of the General Council of the University, stating that Dr Ashok does not possess the requisite qualifications prescribed by the UGC for holding the...
The Kerala High Court has issued notice on a writ petition questioning the qualifications of IAS officer Dr B Ashok who was appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Kerala Agricultural University earlier this year.
The plea has been moved by a member of the General Council of the University, stating that Dr Ashok does not possess the requisite qualifications prescribed by the UGC for holding the post of Vice Chancellor.
The Agricultural Production Controller was given full additional charge as the University's VC with effect from March 01, 2023 at directions of Chancellor, Governor Arif Khan.
Bench of Justice T R Ravi has issued notices to Khan, Pro-Chancellor and Minister of Agriculture P. Prasad, Registrar of the Kerala Agricultural University and the Principal Secretary to State's Agricultural and Farmers Welfare Department.
Court also stayed selection procedure to the posts of Asst. Professor vide a notification issued by the Registrar back in the year 2020, marked as Ext P9 Notification. This was after Petitioner contended that Vice Chancellor has a vital role in the selection and appointment of Assistant Professors to the University but Dr. Ashok "who is only a bureaucrat, cannot claim to be an academician nor has he any expertise in selection procedure".
“The interview letters are being issued to candidates without conducting any written examination for assessing the domain/subject knowledge of the candidates applied to the post of direct recruitment of Assistant Professors…The proposed selection to the post of Assistant Professors through interview alone, is ex facie illegal, defeating the transparent and foolproof nature of selection process”, the plea says.
The petition is moved by Advocates N Raghuraj, Sayujya and Vivek Menon.
Case Title: Dr Rejil T V The Chancellor, Kerala Agricultural University
Case number: WPC No. 29750 of 2023