Chintha Jerome’s dissertation: Raj Bhavan seeks explanation from Kerala University VC

Thiruvananthapuram: The Raj Bhavan Secretary has sought an explanation from Kerala University Vice Chancellor over the Save University Campaign committee petition to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan regarding the controversy surrounding Chintha Jerome’s dissertation. 

The petition given to the governor demands a re-examination of Jerome’s dissertation by an expert committee, suspending the guideship of Jerome’s guide, former Pro Vice Chancellor of Kerala University, Dr PP Ajayakumar and the removal of Ajayakumar from the post of HRDC director. 

In its petition, the Save University Campaign committee said that the former Pro Vice Chancellor and the former Vice Chancellor were responsible for the irregularities in awarding the doctorate and so the governor, as the Chancellor of universities, should take steps to prevent such irregularities. 

The committee has put out the paragraph from Jerome’s dissertation that contains the controversial ‘Vazhakkula’ reference. The committee has pointed out several mistakes in this paragraph alone. Even the word ‘Communist’ has been spelt incorrectly, the committee alleged.            

The dissertation, titled ‘the ideological foundation of Malayalam commercial cinema in the neoliberal times’, was submitted at Kerala University and was awarded the doctorate in 2021.