KU Registrar transferred

The State government on Wednesday issued an order transferring Kerala University Registrar K.S. Anilkumar to his parent department. Dr. Anilkumar had informed the government of his disinclination to continue in the Registrar’s post.

University Vice-Chancellor in-charge Mohanan Kunnummal had suspended Dr. Anilkumar in July in connection with a fracas during a programme attended by Governor Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar on the campus. The function was “disrupted” over the display of a Bharat Mata portrait. Dr. Anilkumar had earlier directed the organisers to remove the image, warning that failure to do so would result in the event’s cancellation.

The Vice-Chancellor, however, had recommended an inquiry to Lok Bhavan, accusing Dr. Anillkumar of misconduct for allegedly issuing an order to cancel the event while the Governor was on stage and the national anthem was being played. The Registrar was also accused of addressing the media from a stage “sanitised for anti-terror activities.”

The Vice-Chancellor’s report claimed that Dr. Kumar’s actions were prejudicial to the university’s interests and warranted disciplinary action. Dr. Anilkumar, however, refuted the charge, asserting that the cancellation order was issued before the Governor arrived on the campus. He had approached the High Court seeking quashing of the suspension. However, the court had refused to interfere in the matter. After the Syndicate decided to revoke his suspension the Registrar again approached the High Court in November seeking revocation of his suspension.

Dr. Anilkumar was into his second term as Registrar when the row over the Bharat Mata erupted. He was Principal of KSMDB College, Sasthamcotta, when he was first appointed KU Registrar in 2021. He was reappointed Registrar in February this year for a four-year-term.

The transfer of Dr. Anilkumar comes after a prolonged stand-off between the State government and Lok Bhavan ended recently with the appointment of Vice-Chancellors to two State-run universities. Conciliatory talks had been held between the Chief Minister and the Governor who is also the Chancellor to end the stalemate.