KU senate meet likely to be volatile

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The

Kerala University

(KU) special senate meeting, scheduled to be held on, December 16, is likely to run into rough weather. The varsity syndicate and the vice-chancellor (VC) still remain at loggerheads over the former's decision to probe the alleged irregularities in the

appointment of a candidate

to the post of

assistant professor

.

The senate is supposed to meet with the specific agenda of choosing a nominee of the senate to the search committee, set up to choose the next VC. The four-year term of current VC P K Radhakrishnan would expire in February. As per UGC regulations 2010, university senate has to recommend an academic expert to represent the body in the search committee.

As per the understanding reached between the VC and syndicate members during the syndicate meet on December 6, a syndicate subcommittee led by member A A Rahim would probe the appointment row and the report of the committee would be discussed in the syndicate meeting, prior to the senate meeting on December 16. However, the VC is yet to sign the order regarding the constitution of the subcommittee and hence the panel has not become functional yet.

According to sources, the VC has refuted the claims that the syndicate decided to appoint the subcommittee to probe into the allegations, in which he at the centre.

If the VC sticks to his stand, there is no question of holding the syndicate meeting on December 16, prior to the senate meeting. In that case, there would be protests, especially since

SFI

has already announced its decision to continue agitation against the VC and the senate may not be able to perform its duty of nominating its representative to the search committee.