VC used varsity money to fight itself

The Kerala State Audit Department has halted a ₹4 lakh payment made by Kannur University to cover legal expenses incurred by former Vice-Chancellor Prof. Gopinath Ravindran. Prof. Ravindran had personally initiated legal action against the Chancellor, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, and the university itself, contesting his removal from office in 2022.
The development has sparked debate over the propriety of using university funds to finance personal legal battles, especially when the litigation is directed against the institution. The audit department's intervention raises critical questions about financial governance within academic institutions.
Prof. Ravindran's tenure at Kannur University has been marked by controversy. In November 2023, the Supreme Court invalidated his reappointment as Vice-Chancellor, overturning the Kerala government's earlier decision. This marked the first instance in the state's history where a Vice-Chancellor was reappointed, a move that attracted significant attention and legal challenge. Open URL