The rather ugly spat between Governor of Kerala Arif Mohammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as regards the latter’s alleged interference in the appointment of vice-chancellors in state universities should not surprise anyone familiar with the Indian academic scene. That the incident has come out in the open, too, should not alarm those with even a semblance of awareness of what goes on in the realm of education in India.
In almost all states allegations of political intrusion in various appointments in educational institutions have been made, more or less consistently. The only difference this time is that the Governor/Chancellor has expressed his anguish and discomfort, in writing, to the Chief Minister. In many other cases it is the Chief Minsters or their Cabinet colleagues who have alleged that the office of the Governor/Chancellor has intervened in academic appointments.