Supreme Court ends Kerala universities VC dispute with settlement allowing both to stay
Supreme Court disposes petitions as Kerala state government and Governor agree to let current Vice-Chancellors of KTU and DUK continue in office.
The Supreme Court has disposed of petitions challenging the appointments of Vice-Chancellors to two Kerala universities after the state government and Governor agreed to let the current incumbents continue in office.
A bench comprising Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi concluded the special leave petitions filed by the Governor during a special Lok Adalat session '2026 Samadhan Samaroh' on August 23, bringing an end to months of legal conflict between Raj Bhavan and the state administration.
Settlement allows both V-Cs to retain posts
Under the settlement terms, Ciza Thomas will continue as Vice-Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU), while Saji Gopinath will remain V-C of Digital University Kerala (DUK). The Governor serves as Chancellor of both state-run institutions.
The resolution was brokered through a Pre-Special Lok Adalat conciliation meeting organised by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Thiruvananthapuram, ahead of the Supreme Court's Lok Adalat session. P. Aswathy, Deputy Secretary at the Governor's Secretariat representing the Chancellor, and S. Sunil Kumar, Joint Secretary of the Higher Education department representing the state, executed the formal settlement document before the DLSA Secretary.
Legal questions left unresolved
Both parties agreed that while the current V-C appointments will stand, the broader legal issues and contentions raised in the petitions will remain open. The state government has proposed necessary amendments to the University Act to align provisions with University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations.
The appointments of Dr. Thomas and Dr. Gopinath had been notified by the Governor based on a panel submitted by the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia Commission and following mutual consensus with the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government. Despite the appointments materialising, the litigation had remained pending before the Supreme Court until the settlement terms were filed and ratified during the Lok Adalat proceedings.
Source: The Hindu
Frequently asked questions
What did the Supreme Court decide about the Kerala universities Vice-Chancellor dispute?
The Supreme Court disposed of the petitions and approved a settlement allowing both current Vice-Chancellors to retain their posts. Ciza Thomas will continue as VC of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU), and Saji Gopinath will remain VC of Digital University Kerala (DUK).
Who brokered the settlement between the Governor and state government?
The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) in Thiruvananthapuram organized a Pre-Special Lok Adalat conciliation meeting that brokered the settlement. The agreement was formalized during the Supreme Court's Lok Adalat session on August 23, 2026.
Will the legal issues raised in the petitions be resolved?
No. Both parties agreed that while the current V-C appointments will stand, the broader legal issues and contentions raised in the petitions will remain open. The state government has proposed amendments to the University Act to align with UGC regulations.
How were the Vice-Chancellors originally appointed?
The appointments were notified by the Governor based on a panel submitted by the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia Commission and following mutual consensus with the state government led by Pinarayi Vijayan.
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