‘A leaf out of Gujarat model’: Karnataka to curb governor’s powers in vice-chancellor appointments

Higher Education Minister M C Sudhakar told reporters on Wednesday: “We are taking a leaf out of the Gujarat model. The governor’s role in Gujarat is limited to convocations while the appointment of vice-chancellors and other important administrative decisions rest with the state government. Even other state governments have made similar amendments but some of them have been unsuccessful.”

He added: “We are working on the amendments to the Karnataka State Universities Act. We have to send it to the legal affairs department for review, after which it will be discussed in the cabinet and tabled in the Assembly. The amendments will primarily focus on strengthening the university and improving administrative, financial, and academic aspects of the university.”

The government argues that the governor holds very little significance when it comes to the functioning of a university. It proposed to amend the KSU Act during the cabinet meeting in Kalaburgi in September. The move came amid the political slugfest between Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot and the Government in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (Muda) land case involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his wife Parvathi. Gehlot had given sanction for booking Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged land scam — a decision the chief minister challenged in the Karnataka High Court.

How are vice-chancellors appointed now?

The government forms a search committee to recommend three qualified candidates for the post of vice-chancellor. This list is sent to the governor’s office, where the governor, in consultation with the government, selects one candidate. The governor has the final say in appointing vice-chancellors. But once the proposed amendment becomes law, the state government will finalise a single name from the three names the committee suggests and send it to the governor for approval. The draft is expected to draw references to states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, where the chief minister plays a critical role in the appointment of vice-chancellors.

How does Gujarat appoint vice-chancellors?

According to the rules laid out under the Gujarat Public Universities Act 2023, there shall be a search committee consisting of a member nominated by the state government, the director of an institute or organisation, a representative from the University Grants Commission, and the registrar of the university. The government-nominated member is the chairman of the committee. It recommends a panel of the best candidates for consideration for appointment as the vice-chancellor. A report is then submitted with a detailed write-up on the suitability of each person in the list. The state government appoints one of them as the vice-chancellor.