Kochi: Kerala government is aiming to make Kerala a hub of higher education and for that to happen, able academics should head higher education institutions, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.
Responding to Governor Arif Mohammad Khan’s letter expressing concern over political interference in Governor’s work, the Chief Minister told a press conference at Kannur that the Governor is a person who is aware about the government’s policy on higher education.
The government is duty bound to take the higher education sector forward from the present stage to the next level with the aim of making Kerala a hub of higher education.
It was with this plan the government wanted to appoint ideal candidates to lead institutions of higher education, media reports said.
This had been underscored in its election manifesto. It has been the policy of all LDF governments in the past, he said, adding that some leaders were trying to find fault with the government forgetting their past deeds.
The Chief Minister reminded that there has been occasion in the past when a candidate having no teaching experience was appointed to the top post from where he was removed by a governor appointed by their government.
He said he did not want to name the person as his decency would not permit him to do so.
He said the government had acted immediately after getting a letter from the Governor on December 8. The Chief Secretary and other senior officials visited the Governor to give clarification on the matter.
He said he could not meet the Governor personally as he was out of station. It was a common procedure for the Governor to communicate with the government pertaining to governance. This time the Governor said something in public which was misinterpreted by the media in a big way. Under such circumstances it becomes the duty of the government to clarify things before the public.
He said the LDF Government has never tried to hijack governor’s powers and it will never happen. The governor should not quit from the Chancellor’s post, he said.
