Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has appointed Dr Saji Gopinath as the temporary Vice-Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University. The move came on the day of the retirement of former VC Dr Ciza Thomas. 

Interestingly, the governor has appointed Saji Gopinath from a panel of candidates proposed by the state government. He will assume charge on Saturday. 

Earlier, Khan directed the state government to submit a panel of candidates for the soon-to-be vacant office. Following this, the higher education department submitted a three-member list.

On Thursday, Ciza Thomas faced a setback after Kerala Administrative Tribunal rejected her plea seeking to quash the showcase notice issued by the government. The ruling was another blow for the Kerala Governor, who had recently been the subject of controversy for his differences with the state government over various matters. He also faced a setback from High Court over his decision to remove senate members from Kerala University. 

Many view the latest development as a sign of rapprochement between Khan and the state government.