VC-Syndicate rift escalates over nominations at MG University in Keralam as 12 members quit

The rift between the Vice-Chancellor and Syndicate members of Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) in Keralam has escalated, with all 12 government-nominated Syndicate members resigning from the governing bodies of private and aided colleges in protest against the Vice-Chancellor’s decision to override the Syndicate’s nominations.

The dispute centres on the appointment of university representatives to the statutory governing bodies and management councils of private and aided colleges. Syndicate members said the varsity had traditionally nominated only Syndicate members to the governing bodies of individual colleges.

Accordingly, the Syndicate submitted its list of nominees to the Vice-Chancellor on October 5. However, the Vice-Chancellor allegedly invoked his special powers to replace several nominees with new members, overriding the Syndicate’s decision. Three Syndicate members were not assigned any responsibility, prompting the government nominees to resign from the governing bodies.

The Syndicate has accused the Vice-Chancellor of inducting Sangh Parivar nominees into the committees. “We will be meeting the Minister for Higher Education to apprise him of the situation and seek legal action in consultation with Mathew Kuzhalnadan, MLA, also a member of the Syndicate,” said Jobin Jose Chamakkala, a syndicate member.

The Vice-Chancellor’s office, however, offered a different version of events. It said the Vice-Chancellor decided to prepare his own list of nominees after the Syndicate rejected his request to include representatives of the Senate and the Academic Council.

“While the Syndicate members insisted on making nominations only from among themselves, the Vice-Chancellor demanded that the Academic Council and the Senate should also be represented in these governing bodies. Meanwhile, the delay in finalising the nominations began causing difficulties for several colleges affiliated with the university. It was under these circumstances that the Vice-Chancellor decided to make the nominations on his own. Even this list included 70% of the Syndicate members, while the remaining 30% were drawn from the Academic Council and the Senate,” the office said.

Official sources, meanwhile, added that the resignations would not automatically invalidate the list of nominees. “If the Syndicate does not initiate steps to cancel the nominations in their entirety, it could leave the Vice-Chancellor with more vacancies to fill with people of his choice,” they pointed out.

In a parallel development, Left-leaning teachers have resigned from the university’s Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) committee, widening the fallout from the dispute. Their protest followed the Vice-Chancellor’s decision to defer an agenda item on electing an Academic Council representative to the university’s Statutory Finance Committee.

The election had been listed as the first item on the agenda of the Academic Council meeting. However, the Vice-Chancellor deferred it without taking it up for consideration, prompting the teachers to resign, sources said.