Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who serves as the Chancellor of state universities, has reappointed two interim Vice-Chancellors after receiving the green light from the Supreme Court of India.

The reappointments of Dr Ciza Thomas and Dr K Sivaprasad follow a Supreme Court order on July 30, ending months of legal conflict between the Governor’s office and the state government over the Chancellor's powers.

Dr Ciza Thomas, formerly the Senior Joint Director at the Directorate of Technical Education, has been reappointed as the interim Vice-Chancellor of the Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology.

Dr K Sivaprasad, a professor at the Department of Ship Technology at Cochin University, will continue to serve as the interim Vice-Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University. He will handle this role alongside his existing academic duties.

According to an official statement from Raj Bhavan, both appointments are temporary. The two professors will serve for up to six months or until permanent Vice-Chancellors are appointed, whichever comes first.

Dispute over Chancellor's powers began in 2024

The conflict dates back to November 2024, when the Governor first appointed Dr Thomas and Dr Sivaprasad to the temporary posts. He cited provisions in the University Acts that allow the Chancellor to fill key positions on an interim basis.

However, the Kerala state government opposed the move, arguing that the appointments bypassed standard procedures. The government said the selection process should include nominated search committees and must comply with UGC regulations.

In May 2025, the Kerala High Court ruled in favour of the state, stating that the Governor’s appointments did not follow proper legal procedure. A division bench upheld that decision in July.

The Governor then filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, which has now allowed the reappointments to go ahead.

With PTI inputs