Thiruvananthapuram: K S Anilkumar, principal, Kumbalathu Sankupillai Memorial Devaswom Board College, has been appointed as the new registrar of Kerala University. Anilkumar assumed charge from professor C R Prasad.
Anilkumar, a member of the varsity senate, had twice worked as member in the university academic council. He had worked as principal in some other devaswom board colleges as well before he was appointed as the principal of Kumbalathu Sankupillai Memorial Devaswom Board College at Sasthamcotta.
He has 24 years of teaching experience and is a research guide. He had completed his MTech and PhD from Kerala University. Earlier, Anilkumar has worked as state IT Mission e-governance head and e-government procurement project nodal officer. He currently holds the additional charges of Travancore Devaswom Board IT Mission head and nodal officer of Sabarimala pilgrim management system.
Meanwhile, there were voices of dissent from higher education circles regarding the haste with which the university filled the post. There were allegations that the university hurriedly conducted the selection process as short-listed candidates were not informed about the interview well in advance as prescribed by the rules.
For over four years, C R Prasad, professor with department of Malayalam, Kariavattom campus, had been holding the additional charge of registrar. It is learnt that pro-left members of the Kerala University syndicate pressurised the authorities to recruit the new registrar immediately. The syndicate meeting held on Monday, within hours of conducting the interview, approved the selection and appointed Anilkumar as the registrar.