T’puram: Save University Campaign Committee (SUCC) urged governor Rajendra Arlekar to review the controversial nominations he made to MG University’s (MGU) board of studies and senate in his capacity as the chancellor. Arlekar had nominated 18 persons of his choice after appointing members to the board of studies, allegedly overlooking academic merit.“The chancellor’s appointments and nominations at MGU are not welcome. The governor was made the chancellor of universities by the act passed in the assembly in good faith that he would lead universities by upholding merit. It is up to the governor to retain that faith,” said SUCC.No one will question his merit-based university nominations. On the contrary, the feeling that he is yielding to the wishes of certain external centres by rejecting merit will not benefit the higher education sector. When CPM tried to install unqualified persons at the helm of universities during the previous govt’s tenure, SUCC had opposed it, it added.The stances taken at that time by then governor AM Khan and later by the current governor were highly beneficial to universities. But current nominations at MGU are not justified, said SUCC. It submitted a petition to Arlekar demanding that the stance of destroying universities through conflict between govt and the governor should stop and the nominations to MGU senate should be reviewed.
