Calicut University BoS reconstitution row: Two professors resign from the boards

KOZHIKODE: The controversy over political discrimination and flouting of merit in the reconstitution of Boards of Study in the Calicut University has intensified with two senior professors resigning from the newly- constituted Boards and many other teachers planning to follow suit.

Those who have resigned from the Boards over alleged improprieties in the constitution of the academic bodies include Prof. Abraham Joseph from the BoS for Applied Chemistry and Prof. C Naseema from the BoS for Education.

Also there have been charges of other lapses in the reconstitution of Boards like naming a professor of History as chairman of BoS for Political Science.Prof.

Abraham Joseph who has been included as a member in the BoS for Applied Chemistry has tendered his resignation in protest against the alleged improprieties in the constitution of the Board. Joseph who has eight years of experience as professor is just a member of the board while the junior- most faculty in the department has been appointed as chairman of the board.

Meanwhile Prof. Naseema, who is a senior professor and former Dean of Education, has been made just a member of the BoS for Education. She said that the BoS has been constituted violating seniority and only taking into consideration the political affiliation of teachers.

"Even professors have been made to serve in the Boards under assistant professors. It is something which is unprecedented in the university," she added. It is learnt that another professor from department of Commerce and Management Studies too have stepped down from BoS, but has cited personal reasons for the decision.

The pro- UDF Calicut University Teachers Union (CUTA) had written to the governor and chancellor Arif Mohammed Khan stating that 95 percent of the teachers in the Boards are CPM sympathisers.

CUTA said that the reconstitution of the Boards is highly vitiated by the political interests of the organizations associated with the ruling political party with utter disregard to academic merit. "Many senior faculty members have been excluded from the Boards due to political consideration. Also, in some of the Boards, junior faculty members have been appointed as Chairmen while senior faculty members are named as members. Such political discrimination is a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution and can also affect the very academic future of the University," Prof. T M Vasudevan, president of CUTA, said in the letter.

CUTA alleged that it was part of the conspiracy by the members of the Syndicate and the VC to ensure that Boards are controlled by CPM sympathisers and urged the governor to quash the university order in this regard. Teachers affiliated with CUTA said that they were waiting for intervention from the office of the Chancellor and if the grievances raised are not addressed, they will resign from the Boards.

Meanwhile syndicate member K K Haneefa said that there have been some complaints raised regarding seniority and other issues in constitution of the BoS and added that the syndicate will look into it and would make changes, if needed.