Kerala Governor's Directive on University Legal Expenses Sparks Debate

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has instructed that Vice Chancellors and other university officers in the state bear their own legal expenses when pursuing litigation against his orders. Describing such use of university funds as unjustifiable, Khan has mandated that any such payments made thus far must be recovered from the concerned officers.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who serves as the Chancellor for state universities, has issued a directive that Vice Chancellors and other officers pursuing litigation against his orders are responsible for their own legal expenses.

Khan's directive targets universities like Kannur and Calicut, criticizing their decision to allocate funds for these legal battles as a 'misuse of university funds.'

He stated that officers engaged in such litigation are primarily protecting their personal interests, thereby justifying the directive that no university funds should be used for these legal proceedings.

Additionally, Khan has instructed universities to recover any payments already made towards legal expenses and to provide detailed accounts of such financial decisions.

According to reports, various state universities have spent significant amounts—ranging from thousands to lakhs of rupees—on legal costs incurred by VCs and other officers while contesting Khan's orders.

(With inputs from agencies.)