SC criticises Kerala Governor for not reviewing former judge’s report on VC appointments
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday criticised Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar for failing to examine a report prepared by former Supreme Court judge Sudhanshu Dhulia on the pending appointment of regular vice chancellors to two state universities.
A bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan said the document, sent by the Chief Minister to the Governor in his capacity as Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and the University of Digital Sciences Innovation and Technology, was “not just an ordinary piece of paper” and should have been reviewed promptly.
The court questioned why the report had not even been looked at, despite the Chancellor having received the committee’s findings. Senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, appearing for the state, informed that no action had been taken so far.
The dispute has been ongoing between the state government and the Governor over filling key academic posts. In August, the Supreme Court had appointed Justice Dhulia to head a search-cum-selection committee after finding the regular appointment process had broken down. As directed, shortlisted candidates were to be forwarded to the Chief Minister, who would then send the preference list to the Chancellor.
The conflict escalated in September when the Governor sought a modification of the Supreme Court’s directions, arguing that university laws and UGC rules did not provide any role for the Chief Minister in selecting vice chancellors.
The bench noted that the process had been carried out with consent from all sides and criticised the explanation that certain related documents had not reached the Raj Bhavan. The judges insisted that the Chancellor must act on the recommendations without delay.
When the Governor’s counsel attempted to present further arguments, the bench emphasised the importance of the report. “A former judge of the Supreme Court has looked into it. So you are to look into the report and take an appropriate call,” Justice Pardiwala said.
The Supreme Court will review the Chancellor’s action on the matter on December 5.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
