With controversy refusing to die down over her appointment, Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran’s wife Jubily Navaprabha stepped down as the Director of the Directorate of Management, Technology and Teacher Education (DOMTECH) on Sunday.
Ms. Navaprabha’s appointment to the newly-created post on contract basis in May had come under a scanner with allegations being raised over the intent behind the university’s move.
Certain quarters had ven claimed that the eligibility criteria for appoitment had been modified to suit the candidate.
Halfway into her one-year tenure, she has now been accused of attempting to influence the Syndicate into regularising her services. For his, the Syndicate has allegedly commenced steps to covert the temporary post as statutory.
Allegations refuted
Announcing her resignation, Ms. Navaprabha refuted the allegations, claiming they were aimed at maligning her and her husband’s reputation.
Ms. Navaprabha also alleged that a lobby has been conspiring against her within and outside the university.
‘Bid to tarnish image’
“I am unaware of any such decision that has been made by the Syndicate. Under any circumstances, converting the nature of the post in impossible in the midst of the ongoing tenure. I have tendered my resignation to prevent any attempt to tarnish my husband’s integrity,” she said.
The post had been created to coordinate the activities of the university’s self-financing institutions, including 29 university institutes of technology, 10 teacher education centres, seven management institutes and an engineering college.
Charges against varsity
Ms. Navaprabha said the university was beset with numerous problems with instances of women complainants being threatened with termination.
She said the appraisal process of three principals of self-financing institutions had been undertaken without her knowledge.
With her having raised objection, the Vice Chancellor had apparently ordered that the process be redone. There was scant regard for the position of DOMTECH, she alleged.
Varsity clarifies
Meanwhile, official sources claimed that the Syndicate decision was meant to study the feasibility of empowering the position with statutory powers at a later stage and not during the current tenure.
The move was intended to ensure better coordination of the institutions and improve their functioning.