Thiruvananthapuram: Replies to Right to Information Act (RTI) queries have found that Higher Education Minister, R Bindhu, was behind sabotaging the appointment of Principals to government arts and science colleges. It is found that her intervention led to the addition of rejected candidates into the appointment list.
R Bindhu had intervened to change the list prepared by Selection Committee, constituted by UGC Regulation Committee, to the draft list. With this move, the list of forty-three qualified candidates, approved by the PSC, have changed.
The list of forty-three candidates was approved by the Department’s Promotion Committee. The education director had also recommended for their appointment. It is found that the Minister had intervened in the recommendation file.
After the intervention of the Minister, an Appeal Committee was constituted. Appointments from the earlier list of forty-three candidates, approved by the PSC, were not made. Instead thirty-six more candidates, who were unqualified, were added to that list.
On November 12, 2022, Minister, R Bindhu, wrote in the file to change the list of forty-three candidates, approved by PSC, into the draft list and publish it and also to constitute an Appeal Committee. She also ordered all the files related to the selection process of the Selection Committee to be brought to her.
The Education Director published the final draft list on January 11, 2023, as suggested by Minister. After this the Selection Committee prepared the list including those who were unqualified. The list now contained seventy-six persons.
The Administrative Tribunal had blocked the appointment of unqualified candidates on this list. The Tribunal had also given an order to appoint only from the list of forty-three qualified candidates.
Meanwhile, the Minister’s office said that more candidates were included in the list to resolve the complaints.
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