Supreme Court Quashes Reappointment of Kannur University Vice Chancellor, Citing Unwarranted Interference

The Supreme Court of India has quashed the reappointment of Dr Gopinath Raveendran as the Vice Chancellor of Kannur University. The apex court, while considering four matters related to reappointment guidelines, specifically highlighted the “unwarranted interference by the State Government” and observed that the Chancellor (Kerala Governor) had “abdicated or surrendered” statutory powers for reappointing the VC. This ruling marks a major setback for both the state government and Dr Gopinath Raveendran. The court’s decision focused on questions such as the upper age limit, permissibility of reappointment in a tenure post, the selection panel, and the chancellor’s power. The judgment sets aside the Kerala High Court’s decision and the notification reappointing Dr Raveendran as the Vice Chancellor.

A division bench of the Kerala High Court had earlier dismissed an appeal against a single-judge order upholding Raveendran’s reappointment, stating that it was done in accordance with the law and that he was not “an usurper to the post.” The Supreme Court’s decision comes after Kannur University senate member Dr Premachandran Keezhoth and academic council member Shino P Jose approached the court questioning the reappointment. The court, during the hearing, raised concerns about the age limit, emphasizing that reappointment should fulfill the eligibility criteria laid down in the Act, even if the person is over 60 years old.