New KU syndicate takes charge amidst protests

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The five Syndicate members nominated by the State Government on the basis of the ordinance passed by the Cabinet took charge on Thursday amidst protest from the pro-CPM Kerala University Employees Union and SFI. Meanwhile, the pro-Congress Kerala University Staff Union organised a march in support of the newly elected members and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.These five members will replace the four members nominated by the Left parties as IT and Biotechnology experts. With this, the UDF has gained a majority in the Syndicate.At the Syndicate meeting, after the new members took charge, the Left members opposed the move to reconstitute the various standing committees of the Syndicate. The last Syndicate meeting had elected Syndicate members owing allegiance to the Left parties to the post of convener of all the standing committees.The meeting has decided to convene a special Syndicate meeting on August 29 to elect new conveners and members of the standing committees. The meeting has also decided to take strong action against employees who are found guilty of examination-related malpractices like tampering of mark lists etc.A decision was also taken to give provisional affiliation to Trinity College of Engineering, Naruvammoodu.In addition to this, it also decided to appoint a three-member search committee comprising of Syndicate members R S Sasikumar, S P Deepak and P Rajendran to find a new standing counsel. This was following the end of the tenure of the present standing counsel M Rajagopalan Nair, who is presently the president of the Travancore Dewaswom Board. The committee will be submitting the name of the new counsel to the Syndicate.The Syndicate meeting also decided to give approval to all decisions made by Vice Chancellor A Jayakrishnan, including the appointment of teaching staff made during the last one year.The meeting decided to appoint a committee, with finance standing committee convener as chairman, for monitoring the preparation for NAAC accreditation.  It also decided to suspend R Johnson of the Psychology Department of the university following allegations against him.There were allegations that he was debarred by the PSC following complaints of malpractice in the PSC examinations.