Kerala University owes its crisis to Syndicate’s ignorance of the Act and Statutes: Rajan Gurukkal

Kerala State Higher Education Council vice-chairperson Rajan Gurukkal has strongly criticised the Kerala University Syndicate, holding it responsible for the prevailing administrative deadlock that has disrupted the university’s functioning. The Syndicate’s “ignorance of the Act and the Statutes,” he said, has created the ongoing crisis.

Prof. Gurukkal stated that the Syndicate, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor (V-C), is the executive body of any university, and without the Vice-Chancellor, the Syndicate has no legal or functional existence.

“However, many mistakenly see the Syndicate and the Vice-Chancellor as separate entities. This statutory ignorance is the root-cause of the crisis in Kerala University. In fact, the Syndicate members have no individual authority outside their collective role. At the same time, the Vice-Chancellor is the sole chief executive and academic head of the university,” he asserted.

He added that the unanimous decisions adopted by the Syndicate are legally void, unless the meetings are presided over by the Vice-Chancellor. Besides, in cases of insubordination, Registrars must be aware that their statutory powers ultimately depend on the Vice-Chancellor’s discretion.

False convention

According to him, Kerala University has long upheld the false convention of treating Syndicate members as individual authorities. Under this “illusion,” members have enjoyed undue privileges, such as private offices, considering themselves to be like “Ministers” in a university “Cabinet,” despite having no individual portfolios or administrative powers.

“Members may serve on standing committees related to academics, administration, examinations and other areas, but these are meant to aid Syndicate decision-making faster and do not confer executive authority. Such roles require small meeting rooms, not personal offices. Legally, they are entitled solely to temporary accommodation, whether on campus or elsewhere at the university’s expense,” Prof. Gurukkal said.

The academic also suggested that Syndicate members, who are often nominated from various constituencies, may be academically outdated or politically backed individuals, lacking the expertise or vision needed for university growth. Many are unfamiliar with even the basic University Act and Statutes. “But when members aligned with the ruling party form a caucus, they may promote narrow agendas. Interestingly, real politicians like MLAs or MPs who serve on the Syndicates rarely engage in such behaviour.”