Faculty Body Demands State Action to Break APJ Abdul Kalam Tech University Deadlock

Bureaucratic Stasis Leaves Staff Without Salaries

The All Kerala Private College Teachers Association (AKPCTA) has formally requested the Kerala government to step into the escalating administrative crisis at A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University. General Secretary A. Nishanth reported that the Syndicate has failed to convene for five months, violating university statutes that mandate meetings every 60 days. This inaction has frozen the approval process for 30 new employees across three engineering colleges, including staff with disabilities who have performed their duties without pay for nearly two years. Additionally, the career advancement of 270 teachers and 40 administrative staff remains in limbo as their promotion files sit unaddressed.

Disputed Executive Authority and Academic Oversight

The teachers’ organization accused Vice-Chancellor Ciza Thomas of exceeding her legal mandate by utilizing special academic powers for financial governance, a move they describe as unlawful under the university's specific framework. AKPCTA leadership alleges the institution is currently operating under "one-person rule." Further concerns have been raised regarding the sanctioning of new academic courses without physical infrastructure inspections. The association questioned if officials previously scrutinized for affiliation irregularities are influencing these current decisions, which they claim have bypassed standard quality controls.

Contested Minutes and Future Governance

Internal friction peaked following a February Syndicate meeting where a standing committee was established, only for the minutes to be subsequently retracted due to technical discrepancies, leaving only the budget recorded as approved. In response to these allegations, Vice-Chancellor Thomas signaled that a Syndicate meeting is scheduled for this week to address the backlog. She countered AKPCTA’s claims by stating:

• Career advancement placements require rigorous sub-committee scrutiny before final approval.
• New course approvals are strictly provisional and remain subject to future inspections.
• Emergency financial decisions are permitted under Clause 14(5) of the University Act, provided the Syndicate eventually ratifies them.

Thomas also refuted claims of outsourcing a constitution course to private entities, dismissing the allegations as baseless threats to student confidence in the university. AKPCTA State President Sanjeev G.N. maintains that only immediate government intervention can resolve the deadlock and restore institutional functionality for the upcoming academic year.

Source: The Hindu — National