Kannur University Vice Chancellor Prof Gopinath Ravindran on Friday said that the varsity would not file an appeal against the Kerala High Court order, quashing the proposed appointment of Priya Varghese, wife of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s private secretary, as an Associate Professor at the Department of Malayalam of the university

Speaking to media persons in Kannur today, Vice Chancellor Prof Ravindran said that the university would review the rank list as directed by the High Court in its order on Thursday. “The university would abide by the High Court order and not go for appeal,” he said. 

“We will re-check the qualifications of the three persons in the rank list. If anyone needs to be excluded from the list, we will act accordingly,” he said.

He said that that the university had sought clarification from the University Grants Commission (UGC) on whether deputation under the Faculty Development Programme can be considered as teaching experience for direct recruitment.

However, there was no reply. If the UGC had replied on time, Priya Varghese would not have been selected as an Associate Professor, said the Vice Chancellor.

The Kerala High Court on Thursday quashed the proposed appointment of Priya Varghese as an Associate Professor at the Malayalam Department of the Kannur University.

Allowing  the plea  filed by Dr Joseph Scaria, the second rank holder in the selection list, challenging the selection of Priya Varghese, wife of KK Ragesh, Private Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as an Associate Professor at the Malayalam Department in Kannur university, a single bench of Justice Devana Ramachandran said Priya Varghese, the first rank holder in the selection list, did not have the relevant period of actual teaching experience as stipulated under the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations of 2018.

The court directed the competent authority of the university to reconsider the credentials of the 5^th respondent (Priya Varghese) and decide whether she should continue in the rank list. ”On such an inquiry being completed and the rank list sufficiently modified, further action to make an appointment can be taken forward,” the court said .

Priya Varghese’s selection for appointment as an Associate Professor at the Malayalam Department in Kannur university, has triggered a huge political row as she reportedly had the lowest research score but the highest in the interview round and was given first in the rank list.

Governor Arif Mohammed Khan as Chancellor of the Universities in the state had stayed her appointment and alleged that Kannur University’s move to appoint Priya Varghese was political.