New Delhi: The Supreme Court has decided to directly appoint the Vice Chancellors of the state’s Digital University and Technical University. The move comes after repeated attempts to mediate between the Governor and Chief Minister failed to break the deadlock.
A special committee led by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia has been directed to recommend one candidate for each university and submit the names in a sealed cover within a week. The bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K.V. Viswanathan will review the report next Thursday.
The court expressed clear frustration, noting that despite “maximum efforts,” the Governor and the Chief Minister could not reach a consensus. The impasse primarily centered on the Governor’s nomination of Dr. Sisa Thomas for the Technical University — a name the Chief Minister refused to accept.
The Dhulia Committee has now taken full charge of the process. The judges remarked that, aside from an exchange of letters, no meaningful progress had been made between the two authorities. The committee had even recommended considering a woman candidate for at least one university. While the Governor supported her, the state government opposed her appointment, citing administrative issues during her previous tenure as Vice Chancellor.
The friction intensified further when the Governor objected to the Chief Minister’s nominee for Digital University, Dr. Saji Gopinath, pointing to allegations mentioned in a report regarding irregularities at the institution.
Earlier, the Chief Minister had selected Dr. Saji Gopinath (Digital University) and C. Satheesh Kumar (Technical University) from the search committee’s panel, while the Governor proposed Dr. Priya Chandran and Dr. Sisa Thomas.
With both sides refusing to budge, the Supreme Court’s intervention ensures the appointment process moves ahead — marking one of the most significant judicial steps in Kerala’s recent administrative disputes.
