Supreme Court Raps Kerala Governor: "Why Haven't You Read Justice Dhulia's VC Report?"
SC slams Kerala Governor for ignoring ex-judge's report on vice-chancellor appointments at two universities.
The Supreme Court on Friday sharply criticised Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar for failing to examine a report by former apex court judge Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia on appointing regular vice-chancellors to APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) and the University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology (UDK). A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan questioned why the Chancellor—Governor Arlekar—had not reviewed the document forwarded by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, despite his constitutional role in university governance. The court stressed that such a report from a retired Supreme Court judge demands serious consideration, not dismissal as routine paperwork.
This rebuke arises from an August Supreme Court order appointing Justice Dhulia to lead a search-cum-selection committee amid a breakdown in the standard VC appointment process between Raj Bhavan and the LDF government. The directive required shortlisting candidates for the Chief Minister's review before forwarding preferred names to the Chancellor. Senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, representing Kerala, informed the bench that no action had been taken post-submission, prompting Justice Pardiwala's direct query on the inaction.
The standoff exemplifies ongoing friction over university autonomy, with prior disputes including the Governor's temporary VC appointments quashed by Kerala High Court in July 2025 for bypassing UGC norms and university acts requiring government-nominated panels of at least three candidates. The Supreme Court later permitted interim VCs like Dr Ciza Thomas (UDK) and Dr K Shivaprasad (KTU) for up to six months while urging permanent selections. Governor Arlekar had appealed to exclude the CM from the process, citing West Bengal precedents affirming Chancellor's primacy.
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Legal battles trace to November 2024 temporary appointments challenged by the state government, escalating through high court divisions and Supreme Court interventions balancing procedural compliance with administrative continuity. The latest hearing underscores urgency for resolution to prevent governance vacuums in key technical institutions.
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