Even as the stand off between the Mahatma Gandhi (MG) University Vice-Chancellor and the Left backed employees’ union shows no signs of easing, the controversy over the reconstitution of the university’s Boards of Studies has intensified, with the Congress backed teachers’ union now joining the chorus of protest.According to office-bearers of the Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association (KPCTA), the Boards of Studies were hastily reconstituted just before the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government demitted office by favouring Left sympathisers over more qualified and experienced academics. The tenure of the previous boards had expired in 2024.‘Overlooked seniors’KPCTA regional president Jobin Jose Chamakala alleged that junior faculty members, including Assistant Professors, had been appointed chairpersons of various Boards of Studies, overlooking senior Professors.“The MG University statutes require eminent scholars to be included in the Boards of Studies. However, the Syndicate ignored these provisions and packed the boards with Left sympathisers, while the Governor, for his part, inducted Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sympathisers,” he said.He further alleged that an `inept and creativity deficient’ committee had been entrusted with preparing syllabi that would shape the university’s academic programmes for the next seven to eight years. Some postgraduate Boards of Studies have faculty members from colleges offering only undergraduate programmes, with some even serving as chairpersons. Four members of the History Board are from institutions that do not offer postgraduate courses, while several boards also include members without PhD qualifications, according to the KPCTA.‘Academic credibility’The KPCTA office-bearers said the concerns had been raised to safeguard the university’s academic standards, transparency, fair representation of affiliated colleges, institutional balance and academic credibility. They urged the university to review the present composition of the Boards of Studies and the criteria adopted for nominating members.“The Boards of Studies should be constituted through an academic process, with members having at least 15 years of academic experience. We have already submitted petitions to the Governor, the Vice-Chancellor and the Higher Education Minister in this regard,” Mr. Chamakala said.The association is also planning to approach the court seeking reconstitution of the boards after the United Democratic Front government appoints a new Syndicate and standing counsel for the university. Published - July 12, 2026 07:44 pm IST