The Kerala High Court, on Tuesday, refused to stay Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s order appointing Ciza Thomas, senior joint director of the directorate of technical education, as Vice Chancellor in-charge of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU).

A single bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran rejected the state government’s plea to stay Ciza Thomas’s appointment as acting vice-chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University.However, the court agreed to hear the plea against the appointment on Friday.

The court issued notice to Governor Khan, who is chancellor of the university, and  Ciza Thomas on the petition moved by the state government.

Ciza Thomas was appointed as vice-chancellor in-charge of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University by Governor Khan after the Supreme Court last month quashed the appointment of vice chancellor M S Rajashree holding it was done in violation of University Grants Commission (UGC) norms for such appointments.

The state government, in its plea, argued that Thomas’s appointment by the Chancellor is not in conformity with the provisions of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University Act, 2015.

The court said the opinion of the UGC is vital in the case and it (the court) suo motu impleaded  the UGC  as an additional respondent in the case.

The state government argued that only the vice chancellor of any other university or the pro-vice chancellor of the university, or the secretary to the government higher education department, as recommended by the government, could be appointed as the VC to hold office till a regular VC is selected.

The  counsel  for the Chancellor, submitted that in view of the Supreme Court verdict quashing the appointment of Rajasree M S as V-C of the KTU, only an academician with 10 years of service as per the UGC regulations could be appointed. Ciza Thomas had been working as a professor at the College of Engineering Trivandrum for more than 10 years.

The state government recommended Saji Gopinath as Rajashree’s successor after the apex  court’s verdict. But Governor Khan refused to accept it. Saji  Gopinath was among 11 VCs , who have been issued show-cause notice by the Governor after the apex court verdict. Then, Principal secretary (higher education) Ishita Roy’s name was suggested by the government. However, the Governor has appointed  Ciza Thomas, senior joint director of the directorate of technical education, as Vice Chancellor in-charge of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University.