Calicut varsity Senate to meet on August 23 to pick nominee for V-C panel

The Senate of the University of Calicut is scheduled to meet on Saturday (August 23, 2025) to pick its nominee for the search-and-selection committee that will select a new Vice-Chancellor (V-C) for the institution.

The committee’s other members are chosen by the Chancellor and the University Grants Commission (UGC). P. Raveendran, the current V-C, was appointed by the Chancellor in July 2024.

However, it is not yet clear who the Senate nominee will be. According to sources, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], which enjoys a majority among the Senate members, has yet to decide on a candidate. Those aligned with the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League, though without a majority, have reportedly decided to propose their own nominee as well.

Those aligned with the Opposition bloc, however, claim that the Senate proposing its nominee will help the Governor, who is also the Chancellor of State universities, proceed with constituting the search-and-selection committee. This, they argue, could create a difficult situation for the State government, as both the Chancellor’s and the UGC’s nominees are expected to go against its interests in the current context. They also point out that if the meeting turns out to be inconclusive, the V-C may be chosen as per the method suggested by the Supreme Court in the case related to APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and Digital University Kerala. Pro-Left members, however, contend that what applied in the case of the technological university and the digital university need not apply here.