Tue Sep 02 08:41:51 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten news article:

**Summary:**

Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar has appealed to the Supreme Court to exclude Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan from the process of selecting Vice Chancellors for two state universities. The Governor argues that neither the university acts nor UGC regulations allow for the Chief Minister’s involvement and that it represents a conflict of interest. He also requests the inclusion of a UGC nominee on the search committees and clarifies that the selection panel should provide a list of suitable candidates, not a ranked list, allowing the Chancellor (Governor) the final say.

**News Article:**

**Kerala Governor Seeks Supreme Court Intervention in Vice Chancellor Selection, Opposes Chief Minister’s Role**

**NEW DELHI, September 2, 2025** – In a move that could further strain relations between the Governor’s office and the Kerala state government, Governor Rajendra Arlekar has filed an application with the Supreme Court seeking to bar Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan from participating in the selection of Vice Chancellors for the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and the Kerala Digital University.

The Governor, acting in his capacity as Chancellor of the two universities, argues that the Chief Minister’s involvement is not sanctioned by either the relevant university acts or the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations. Arlekar contends that Vijayan’s role as the Executive Head of the State, overseeing numerous government colleges affiliated with the universities, constitutes a conflict of interest under UGC guidelines.

The application seeks to modify a previous Supreme Court order intended to resolve a dispute between the Governor and the state government regarding the VC selection process. While not objecting to the appointment of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia as chairperson of the search committees, the Governor opposes the inclusion of state nominees on the panel. He emphasizes that UGC regulations require committee members to be independent and not connected to the university or its affiliated colleges.

Furthermore, the Governor is requesting the Supreme Court to direct the inclusion of a UGC nominee on the search panels, asserting that this is a mandatory requirement under the regulations. He clarified that the search committees should provide a list of suitable candidates to the Chancellor, not a ranked list, to maintain the Chancellor’s prerogative in the final selection, citing past Supreme Court judgments.

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