New Delhi: Amid the ongoing confrontation between the Kerala government and governor Arif Mohammed Khan, the state cabinet on Wednesday, November 9, resolved to bring in an ordinance to remove the governor as the chancellor of state universities.Incidentally, the governor himself has to sign the ordinance divesting him of the position as chancellor of universities in the state for it to become a law. In the governor’s place, “renowned academic experts” would be made chancellors. Khan has demanded the resignation of several vice-chancellors in the state, claiming that their appointment violated the established guidelines. The issue has become a cause of friction between both sides and has snowballed into a full-scale confrontation.According to The Hindu, the Pinarayi Vijayan government has plans to get the ordinance tabled in the state assembly as a Bill in the event of the governor refusing to give his assent. The state government’s latest move is based on M.M. Punchhi Commission, constituted by the then Union government in 2007, which recommended state governments not to “burden” governors with responsibilities as chancellors, as it would impede them from discharging their other constitutional duties as governor.In fact, the Kerala government is taking a cue from its neighbour Tamil Nadu where similar hostilities came to the fore between the governor and the M.K. Stalin government over the issue of state universities and the governor as chancellor. The Stalin-led government had also invoked the same commission’s recommendations to favour stripping the governor of responsibilities as the chancellor.According to a statement issued by the Kerala Chief Minister’s Office on Wednesday, it was decided in a Cabinet meeting to recommend to Khan to promulgate the Ordinance which would amend the University Laws regarding the appointment of chancellor by removing the section which states that the governor shall also be at the helm of 14 varsities in the state.It further said that in the meeting, the Cabinet also considered the recommendations of the Punchhi Commission, headed by former Chief Justice of India Madan Mohan Punchhi, that it would not be appropriate to appoint the governor as the head of the universities as they have other duties too under the constitution.“In view of the panel’s recommendations and the importance given by the government to higher education in the state, it was decided to appoint eminent academicians as Chancellors of universities,”the statement said.“The cabinet was of the view that it would be beneficial to have persons with expertise in the field of higher education at the helm of the universities to formulate a long-term plan to raise Kerala’s higher education centres to international standards.”Kerala higher education minister R. Bindu also confirmed this while speaking to reporters here.Bindu said that the government had taken the decision to replace the governor with eminent academicians as chancellors for bringing long-term reforms in higher education and universities in the state.On queries about whether Khan would sign the Ordinance, the minister said she hoped that he would act according to his constitutional duties.In an apparent reference to the recent move by Khan against the appointment of VCs of 11 universities in the state, Bindu also said that recently there were interferences in the functioning of varsities which aimed at making them rudderless and that definitely raised concerns with regard to the status of higher education in Kerala.Also Read: Kerala: Editors, Politicians Say Governor’s Mistreatment of Journalists is ‘Unconstitutional’Move to turn universities in Kerala into ‘Communist centres’: OppositionThe government’s move has been opposed by both the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state which have alleged that the Cabinet decision was aimed at turning universities in Kerala into “Communist centres”.They also alleged that if the ordinance is promulgated, all appointments – including that of vice-chancellors – in the universities would be decided at the AKG Centre, the state headquarters of the ruling CPI(M).Leader of opposition in the state assembly V.D. Satheesan opposed the Cabinet decision and said that it was aimed at making universities “Communist centres”.He said changing the chancellor was not the solution or remedy for the mistakes of the government and the chief minister. “If the governor is removed, then just as relatives and favourites of party leaders are appointed through the backdoor, VCs would be selected at the AKG Centre.”He said the decision would only harm higher education in the state “like what happened in West Bengal”.Satheesan also alleged that the Ordinance was also aimed at overriding the recent Supreme Court verdict regarding the appointment of VCs.BJP state general secretary M.T. Ramesh also spoke along similar lines. He said the Ordinance was being brought in as the governor did not agree with the state government’s alleged plans to appoint relatives and favourites of CPI (M) leaders in the universities.“Therefore, they decided to remove a Governor who was against corruption and nepotism. The decision is anti-people, anti-education and anti-students. It will be detrimental to the progress of universities, would set them back and turn them into centres of CPI(M),” the BJP leader alleged.Like Satheesan, he too said that the Ordinance, if issued, would result in all university appointments being decided at the CPI(M)’s state headquarters.(With PTI inputs)