Youth activists stage protest on Sanskrit varsity campus

The main campus of the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit at Kalady, near here, witnessed protests by activists of the Youth Congress (YC) and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morch (BJYM) on Friday against the appointment of R. Ninitha, wife of M.B. Rajesh, former MP of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], as assistant professor in the department of Malayalam.

They shouted slogans against Vice Chancellor Dharmarajan P.K. alleging irregularities and nepotism in her appointment. They alleged that the university authorities had ignored merit while appointing CPI(M) cadres in various vacancies. The activists tried to enter the administrative block. The police prevented them from proceeding further from the main gate.

The appointment of Ms. Ninitha ran into trouble after one of the subject experts took to social media on Thursday saying "it was his first experience where the rank list had gone topsy-turvy.” The candidates who had won the first two ranks were bypassed to choose Ms. Ninitha, he said. She was ranked first on the list of the candidates under the Muslim category.

The Vice Chancellor had denied the allegations while saying that the selection process was transparent and as per the rules and regulations prescribed by the University Grants Commission. The Save University Campaign Committee had petitioned Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who is the Chancellor of the university, against the appointment.