Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan have reached a consensus on appointing vice-chancellors to two key state-run universities, marking a significant breakthrough ahead of Christmas after months of institutional deadlock.

Dr Ciza Thomas has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU), while Dr Saji Gopinathan will take charge as Vice-Chancellor of the Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology. The appointments, notified by the Chancellor’s office at Lok Bhavan on December 16, 2025, are for a four-year term and will be formally reported to the Supreme Court on December 18, 2025.

According to Lok Bhavan sources, the decision followed a meeting between the Governor, who serves as Chancellor of the universities, and the Chief Minister at Lok Bhavan on December 14, 2025. The meeting resolved the long-pending issue of vice-chancellor appointments at APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and the Digital University.

The consensus comes after a prolonged standoff between the Governor and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government over university governance and the Governor’s role in appointing vice-chancellors. The impasse had prompted the Supreme Court to intervene and constitute a committee headed by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia to recommend suitable candidates for the posts.

Dr Ciza Thomas, a Governor nominee, has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of KTU, while Dr Saji Gopinathan will head the Digital University. Official orders affecting the appointments were issued by the Chancellor’s office on Monday, Lok Bhavan sources said.

The agreement signals a thaw in relations between Raj Bhavan and the Kerala government, which have been locked in repeated confrontations over higher education administration in recent months.

The backdrop to the consensus includes intense student protests earlier this year at the Kerala University campus in Thiruvananthapuram. In July, activists from the Students Federation of India (SFI), All India Youth Federation (AIYF) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) staged demonstrations alleging attempts to “saffronise” state-funded universities. The protests turned violent, with demonstrators breaking open university gates and clashing with police.

Kerala Police used water cannons to disperse the crowd and detained several students. Cases were later registered against 27 SFI activists, including the organisation’s state secretary, following the unrest. The agitation was triggered by the suspension of then Kerala University Vice-Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal.

The latest appointments are expected to bring administrative stability to Kerala’s higher education sector amid ongoing legal and political scrutiny.

ANI