Thiruvananthapuram, July 7 (IANS) The Kerala government has removed V.A. Arun Kumar, son of former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, from the post of Director of the Institute of Human Resources Development (IHRD), ending a tenure that had been mired in controversy over his eligibility.

Prof. M.V. Rajesh, Principal of the IHRD College of Engineering at Poonjar, has been appointed as the new Director.

Rajesh, an alumnus of IHRD, replaces Arun Kumar, who had been serving as Director-in-Charge for the past three years.

Arun Kumar’s appointment had triggered widespread criticism and multiple petitions before the Kerala High Court, questioning whether he possessed the qualifications prescribed for the post.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the issue, the High Court had last June ordered an inquiry into his eligibility and whether political influence had enabled him to secure the appointment by bypassing the prescribed norms.

The court observed that the post of IHRD Director is equivalent to that of a university Vice-Chancellor and noted that, under the 2018 University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations, a candidate must have a minimum of seven years of teaching experience to be eligible for appointment.

It expressed doubts over whether Arun Kumar fulfilled these criteria.

The court also directed that the investigation examine whether political influence had played a role in the appointment, remarking that appointing a person who had been serving in a clerical post to a position equivalent to that of a university Vice-Chancellor appeared highly unusual.

The observations came while considering a petition filed by Dr Vinu Thomas, former Principal of the Model Engineering College, Thrikkakara, and currently Dean of Kerala Technical University.

This was not the first time Arun Kumar’s appointment had come under legal scrutiny.

His earlier appointment as Assistant Director of IHRD and subsequent promotion, made during the tenure of the E.K. Nayanar-led Left government, had also been challenged.

In that case, however, a Vigilance inquiry concluded that the appointment and promotion had been made in accordance with the prescribed norms.

Based on the investigation report, the Vigilance Court accepted the agency’s closure report and gave Arun Kumar a clean chit.

He was also acquitted by a special court in Thiruvananthapuram in the related proceedings.

The latest government decision brings to a close a prolonged controversy over the leadership of the higher education institution.

–IANS

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