Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant move, Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar has approached the Supreme Court seeking exclusion of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan from the process of appointing Vice-Chancellors to the state’s Technical University and Digital University.

The Governor’s petition contends that the shortlist prepared by the search committee should be submitted directly to the Chancellor (Governor) instead of the Chief Minister. Earlier, the Supreme Court had mandated that the list be handed over to the Chief Minister.

However, Arlekar argued that the situation in Kerala is distinct from that of West Bengal, where the court had issued similar directions.

The Governor further contended that the Chief Minister has no role in these two universities’ VC appointments and that the existing five-member search committee, which includes two representatives of the state and two of the Chancellor, violates UGC regulations. He has also demanded the inclusion of a UGC nominee in the committee.

By moving the top court, the Governor has signaled that he is unwilling to compromise on the ongoing tussle with the state government over VC appointments, asserting that the state’s upper hand in the current process cannot be accepted.