The Supreme Court has clarified that the Kerala Chief Minister will have the final say in setting the priority order of candidates for Vice-Chancellor appointments in the state’s Digital and Technical Universities. The Governor, acting as Chancellor, is required to make the appointment strictly in line with this list.
The court directed that the Search Committee, chaired by former judge Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, prepare a panel in alphabetical order and submit it to the Chief Minister, who can then decide the preference order. Any objections from the CM or Governor must be documented with valid reasons.
Importantly, if differences arise between the two, the Supreme Court itself will take the final decision. Otherwise, once the Governor approves, the appointment order must be issued within a week.
The ruling, delivered by Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan, also confirmed Justice Dhulia as head of the Search Committee while excluding the UGC representative from it.
