Two more VCs get show cause notices from Kerala Guv
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 25: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, as Chancellor of Universities in the state, on Tuesday issued show cause notices to two more Vice Chancellors asking what legal right they have to hold the office as their appointment was allegedly in violation of UGC norms.
Khan issued show cause notices to the Vice Chancellors of Sreenarayanaguru Open University and Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology.
The show cause notices came in the wake of the Governor, last week, asking the VCs of nine other Kerala universities to quit their respective offices.
After the VCs did not send their resignations by 11.30 AM on Monday as sought by Khan, he had issued show cause notices to them seeking their response by November 3 on what legal right they have to continue in their respective offices following the Supreme Court order of October 21.
A similar notice has now been sent to Dr P M Mubarak Pasha, the VC of Sreenarayanaguru Open University, and Dr Saji Gopinath, VC of Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology, seeking their responses by November 4.
"Notice issued to VCs of Sreenarayanaguru Open University & Kerala Univ. of Digital Sciences, Innovation &Technology to show cause, by 5pm on/before 04.11.2022, their legal right to hold Office of VC & not to declare their appointment 'illegal & void ab initio':PRO, KeralaRajBhavan," the Raj Bhavan tweeted.
In the notice sent to Pasha, it is said that in view of the apex court judgement "it is prima facie found that your appointment as the VC of Sreenarayanaguru Open University is contrary to the UGC Regulations and as such is bad in law / illegal and void ab initio".
The top court on October 21 had quashed the appointment of the VC of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University saying that as per the University Grants Commission (UGC), the search committee constituted by the state should have recommended a panel of not less than three suitable people among eminent people in the field of engineering science to the chancellor but, instead it sent only one name.
Based on that order, Khan had called for resignations of VCs whose names were the only ones recommended for appointment and also those who were selected by a committee of which the Chief Secretary of the state was a member, terming both as a violation of UGC regulations.
In the case of Pasha, the show cause notice states that he was appointed on the basis of the recommendation by the state government and not by a search/selection committee as prescribed in the UGC regulations.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Trump pauses Project Freedom, claims great progress for final agreement with Iran
Washington (PTI): President Donald Trump has suspended “Project Freedom,” to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, claiming progress in negotiations with Iran toward an agreement to end the war.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump said, “Great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran.”
“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed," Trump said.
Project Freedom was launched on Monday to escort ships, stranded due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, out to safety. Trump had announced the operation on Sunday and the US Central Command began implementing it the next day.
However, the Project led to friction in the vicinity of the narrow seaway, a key route for transporting one-fifth of the global oil supplies, with the UAE claiming that its ships were attacked by Iran. The US also claimed to have destroyed several Iranian small boats.
Trump’s statement on Truth Social came hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Operation Epic Fury, launched on February 28, had concluded as its objectives have been achieved.
"Operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation. We're not cheering for an additional situation to occur. We would prefer the path of peace. What @POTUS would prefer is a deal... that is, so far, not the route that Iran has chosen," Rubio told a press conference at the White House on Tuesday.
On Project Freedom, Rubio said the goal was to rescue almost 23,000 civilians from 87 different countries who were trapped inside the Persian Gulf and left for dead by the Iranian regime.
"This is not an offensive operation. This is a defensive operation, and what that means is very simple: there’s no shooting unless we're shot at first. We’re not attacking them, but if they're attacking us or they’re attacking a ship, you need to respond to that," Rubio said.
