By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Kochi: Kerala Governor and Calicut University Chancellor RS Gavai stayed on the dismissal order of the syndicate against eight teachers in the University. The decision was taken as per the complaint of the teachers. The Governor ordered that the dismissal should not be put in effect until a final solution is made in the matter.
The dismissed teachers had approached the Chancellor against the decision of the syndicate. The Chancellor then asked the syndicate to present the details of the decision to dismiss as well as the agenda of the meeting in which the decision was made. But the syndicate reportedly did not do as asked. The Chancellor again asked the syndicate to send the documents in 24 hours, but that too was not done. The Governor reportedly decided to stay the syndicate decision in these circumstances.
The syndicate decision was reportedly against the direction of the High Court that any further action could be taken only as per the solution made in the complaint given to the Chancellor by the teachers in question.
The teachers dismissed by the syndicate include those who are internationally reputed. The teachers were appointed by the last syndicate when the UDF government was in power. Lack of necessary qualification, sabotage of reservation procedure, for appointing more qualified teachers etc were the reasons put forward by the syndicate for dismissing them. The syndicate met in a special meeting to take the decision so that the dismissal would come into effect from the coming 19th. The decision was taken amidst big protests and strikes in the campus against the syndicate move.
It is the first time that the teachers appointed by one syndicate are dismissed by another in the University. This has brought about much criticism as well as academic discussions on the matter. The dismissed teachers are Dr KV Lazar, Dr VM Kannan and Dr Y Shibu Vardhan (Readers in Zoology), Dr CP Sebastian, Dr KC Chithra and Dr EM Manojam (lecturers in Zoology), and Dr P Raveendran and Dr AI Yahya (Readers in Chemistry). Dr AI Yahya has taken leave and is abroad for the last three years. The other teachers complained to the Chancellor.