Keralam govt. reshuffles Principals in government arts and science colleges

The Higher Education department has executed an extensive administrative reshuffle of Principals and senior academic administrators in government arts and science colleges in Keralam.

A mutual swap has been implemented between Chitra Trivikraman Nair of the Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, and Umajyothi V. of Government Arts College, Thiruvananthapuram. Dr. Nair has also been entrusted with the additional charge of Deputy Director of Collegiate Education, Thiruvananthapuram.

Moreover, the Directorate of Collegiate Education assigned full additional charges of Deputy Directors to three Principals, Mathews Plamoottil (Kollam), Roy Scaria (Ernakulam) and Liyaqath Ali (Kozhikode). Transfers were also issued to Principal posts in various arts and science colleges.

However, the move has triggered criticism, with a group of applicants alleging irregularities in the process. They had earlier petitioned the Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) in which they initially challenged a government order which sanctioned the appointment of 33 college Principals.

They had then alleged that the appointments were executed in complete disregard for transparency and in violation of statutory provisions mandated under the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations 2018. While UGC norms explicitly designate the post of Principal as a direct recruitment position, the petitioners claimed the government failed to observe the required recruitment rules.

They claimed that the latest set of transfers have been made, despite the government allegedly delaying its response to notices served by the tribunal in connection with the petitions.