IT’S A MOMENT OF DÉJÀ VU FOR KERALA. Way back in 1959, the state government, then led by CPI (and later CPI(M)) stalwart E.M.S. Namboodiripad, was at loggerheads with Governor B.R. Rao over, among several other things, an education bill that aimed to introduce certain reforms in the private education sector. The governor was unwilling to give his assent to the contentious bill, which had faced resistance from several organisations and pressure groups. The tussle eventually led to the dismissal of the Namboodiripad government and imposition of President’s rule in the state. More than six decades later, the southern state has been witnessing a similar tussle between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by Pinarayi Vijayan and the current occupant of the Raj Bhavan—Arif Mohammad Khan. The bone of contention this time, too, is the education sector, more specifically the appointment of vice-chancellors in the 13 universities run by the Kerala government.
On October 17, Khan ignited a political row by warning the state’s ministers that he would not hesitate to remove them if they continue to “lower the dignity” of the Raj Bhavan. The immediate provocation was higher education minister R. Bindu’s statement asking the governor to sign the University Law Amendment Bill that seeks to curtail the Raj Bhavan's powers in appointing V-Cs. Two days earlier, in his capacity as the chancellor of state universities, the governor had removed 15 members of Kerala University's senate for not sending their nominee's name for the VC's selection committee.
This story is from the November 14, 2022 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 14, 2022 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE AGE OF INFLUENCERS
A TRIBE OF YOUNG, EDUCATED INTERNET WARRIORS IS SHAPING PUBLIC OPINION WITH CURATED VIDEOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
Scoring a Century
Manoj Bajpayee has just acted in his 100th project-Bhaiyya Ji
FRAGMENTED RUINS
A new exhibition at Gallery XXL, Mumbai juxtaposes the artworks of an Indian and a Spanish artist
United by Art
Moments in Collapse, SAHMAT's group exhibition at Jawahar Bhawan in Delhi brings together artworks with politically charged themes
In Her Mother's Voice
Vidya Vox's exuberant new EP, Sundari, is primarily in Tamil as a tribute to her mother
"MURDER, HE WROTE"
Ashutosh Rana and Vijay Raaz shine in JioCinema's Murder in Mahim, a web series based on Jerry Pinto's layered crime novel
FLAGRANT VIOLATIONS
Gujarat sees another major tragedy as businesses flout safety norms and officials look away. This time it's 33 lives lost in a blaze at a gaming zone
THWARTED FRANCHISE
Robertsganj, on the southeastern tip of Uttar Pradesh, is a study in how a coalition of other castes often defeats the aspirations of the majority caste among Dalits-in constituencies reserved for the Scheduled Castes
THE LAST FRONTIER
PURVANCHAL HOSTS THE BIGGEST STAR CANDIDATE IN INDIA: NARENDRA MODI IN VARANASI. THAT MAY BE A NO-CONTEST, BUT CRAFTY CASTE PLAY BY THE SP-CONGRESS POSES A CHALLENGE IN THE OTHER DOZEN SEATS
THE FIGHT FOR POLITICAL CAPITAL
Leading the campaign as non-playing captains or taking the electoral field themselves, a whole range of political players exemplify the churn that Punjab's politics is going through