Kerala HC admits case seeking stay on Chancellor’s order appointing APJAKTU VC

The Kerala High Court stated in an interim order on Friday that a “prima facie case has been made out” by the state government in its challenge against the Chancellor’s order appointing an interim Vice-Chancellor at APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (APJAKTU). Governor Arif Mohammad Khan is the Chancellor of the university.

Justice Devan Ramachandran said, after considering the government’s plea, that this warranted admission of this case. “It is so ordered,” the judge said.

Counsels representing the Chancellor, interim Vice-Chancellor Ciza Thomas and UGC sought time to file counter-affidavits in response to the petition. The Court asked them to file the affidavits by November 16 so that the Court can hear the case on November 18.

Through the petition, the government had sought a court directive seeking a stay on the notification issued by the Chancellor regarding Ciza Thomas’s appointment.

The government’s other request is to order the Chancellor to appoint the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the university or the Vice-Chancellor of any other university in the state or the Secretary, Higher Education Department as the Vice-Chancellor of APJAKTU. Such an order is required as it is so specified under the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University Act, 2015.