The Kerala High Court has directed Calicut University to convene a meeting of its Senate within the next thirty days to elect a replacement for Professor A. Sabu, who has expressed his unwillingness to continue as a member of the Search-Cum-Selection Committee responsible for selecting the new vice-chancellor. The Court observed that the vacancy resulting from Prof. Sabu’s recusal had rendered the committee incomplete, thereby stalling the selection process for the vice-chancellor post.
The case arose from a petition filed by the State Government challenging the notifications issued by the Chancellor of the University for constituting the Search-Cum-Selection Committee and calling for applications for the vice-chancellor post. The challenge was rooted in procedural grounds: according to the petition, the formation of the Committee and the subsequent invitation for applications were not in conformity with statutory procedure, because the Committee lacked its full complement at the relevant time. During the hearing, the University’s counsel conceded that following Prof. Sabu’s recusal, the Committee no longer met the requirement of having at least three members. In response, the Court mandated that the Senate be reconvened within thirty days to elect a new member, and instructed that before forwarding the newly elected name to the Chancellor, the University must first obtain the consent of that person.
Examining the arguments, the Court noted the importance of a properly constituted Search-Cum-Selection Committee to the integrity of the selection process. While the Court clarified that the process for selecting a vice-chancellor cannot properly begin without the Committee being in place, it did not prohibit the receipt of applications altogether: receiving applications remains permissible, though any selection action will be subject to the outcome of the writ petition challenging the earlier notifications. The Court emphasized that it is only after the Committee is duly constituted that the true selection process can commence.
In view of the procedural irregularity and the resulting lull in the VC appointment process, the Court scheduled a next hearing on January 5, 2026. The order underscores the necessity of adhering to established procedures in the constitution of selection committees for high-stakes academic appointments, and holds that any deviation—such as inviting applications before the Committee is validly constituted—renders the process vulnerable to legal challenge.
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