B Ashok Gets Additional Charge as Vice-Chancellor of Kerala Agricultural University

Until a permanent appointment is made, Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) Vice-Chancellor B Ashok has been granted full additional charge of the position.

Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who also serves as the Chancellor of the university, 'delegated the responsibilities' to Ashok on Wednesday.

An official order by Kerala's Agriculture Minister P Prasad said that according to Section 26 (3) of the Kerala Agricultural University Act, 1972, the governor 'delegated his powers as chancellor' and 'authorized’ the pro-chancellor to perform the duties of the chancellor.

The order stated that Ashok would retain the additional fee until a regular appointment to the position is made following a specified selection procedure. On February 28, Arya K, the varsity's former vice-chancellor, announced her retirement.

Ashok, an IAS official from the 1998 batch, held the positions of professor and registrar while serving as the first VC of the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Wayanad.

As per the official order, the latter was 'fully qualified and eligible' to occupy the VC position. Ishita Roy, a former agricultural production commissioner, had previously been granted the charge of KAU VC based on the government's recommendation, but the decision had stirred up controversy.

Later, Arya, the head of the Plant Breeding and Genetics section at the College of Agriculture in Vellayani, who had been a professor for more than ten years, was then given the VC charge.