Complaint to cancel the degree of Kerala Health Varsity VC

Thrissur: A complaint has been filed demanding cancellation of the degree awarded to the Vice Chancellor of Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS).  The petition to cancel the degree of Dr Mohan Kunnummal has been filed before the University of Kerala by another doctor-candidate for the KUHS's VC post.     

Consultant psychiatrist and Principal of  Thrissur Jubilee Mission Medical College Dr Praveen Lal Kuttichira sent the complaint alleging that Dr Mohahan secured his degree through unlawful means.  With this,  the issue surrounding the appointment of VC of KUHS is moving to an extremely unusual scale. 

Dr Praveen Lal had earlier lodged complaints with National Commission for Scheduled Castes and with the state governor – who is also the Chancellor of KUHS – explaining the irregularities inDr Mohahan's appointment.

Dr Praveen Lal's complaint states that Dr Mohanan did two courses in two different universities lying at two ends of the country, in a humanly impossible manner.  It points out that,  as per a reply received from University of Kerala under the Right to Information Act,  Dr Mohahan did post-graduate studies in radio diagnosis from June 1988 till June 1991, in Medical College Thiruvananthapuram,  affiliated to University of Kerala.

At the same time,  during the period from September 1989 to 22 August 1990,  Dr Mohahan also did DCH (Diploma in Child Health) course in Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College,  under Aligarh Muslim University, a fact confirmed by the university in an RTI reply.  

Completing two full-time courses in two medical colleges under two universities situated far apart from each other is not only impossible,  but also not allowed anywhere in the world and against the rules of University Grants Commission (UGC) and Medical Council of India.

Dr Praveen Lal is awaiting a reply to his complaint submitted to the Governor,  and his demand is that if this is confirmed after due verification,  the examination result in question should be cancelled and his degree withdrawn.

There were 17 candidates for the post of Vice Chancellor including Dr Praveen Lal.  Allegations had been raised even earlier that a nominee whose name was preferred by the government in the recommendation to the Governor,  was ignored.   There were also concerns raised as to how the the candidate least qualified among the 17 names,  had found a place in the shortlist prepared by the search committee headed by Dr B Ekbal. 

It is following this that Dr Praveen Lal filed his complaint challenging the appointment of VC disregarding many others qualified, including himself hailing from a Scheduled Caste.