New Delhi: The Supreme Court has declined to urgently consider the Kerala Governor’s demand for clarity on the Chief Minister’s role in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors in digital and technological universities. The Court said it would intervene, if required, only after receiving the report of the committee, headed by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia.

The Supreme Court had earlier issued an order granting the Chief Minister a decisive role in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors in digital and technological universities. According to this order, the panel of candidates eligible for permanent Vice-Chancellor posts would be prepared and submitted by a committee headed by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, with the Chief Minister empowered to determine the order of preference.

This directive was based on an earlier Supreme Court order in the West Bengal Vice-Chancellor appointments case, which had assigned a key role to the Chief Minister. However, Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Kerala Governor, pointed out that the Bench led by Justice Surya Kant later modified its initial order in the West Bengal case. He argued that a similar modification should apply to the appointment process for Vice-Chancellors in digital and technological universities in Kerala also.

The Bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan, however, made it clear that it would not intervene until the report of the Justice Dhulia Committee is received. The report prepared by Justice Dhulia will be submitted to the Supreme Court only after the Chief Minister decides the order of preference.

As a result, the Court’s stance comes as a major setback for the Governor. Senior advocate Jaydeep Gupta, standing counsel C K Sasi and advocate Meena K Paulose appeared on behalf of the Kerala government.