GOPALAKRISHNAN Vs. CHANCELLOR UNIVERSITY OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Kerala University Act, 17 of 1974, (the Act) was enacted to reorganise the University of Kerala with a view to establishing a teaching, residential and affiliating University for the southern districts of the State of Kerala. Under S.3, the Chancellor, the Pro-Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor, the Pro-Vice Chancellor, if any, and the members of the Senate, the Syndicate and the Academic Council for the time being, shall constitute a body corporate by the name of the University of Kerala. S.7 of the Act provides that the Governor of Kerala shall, by virtue of his office, be the Chancellor of the University.

(2.) S.8 provides that the Minister for the time being administering the subject of education in the State shall be the Pro-Chancellor of the University. In the absence of the Chancellor or during his inability to act, the Pro-Chancellor shall exercise all the powers and perform all the functions of the Chancellor.

(3.) S.17 specifies the constitution of the Senate of the University. It shall consist of the fifteen categories of ex officio members (including the Chancellor), the twelve classes of elected members, the life members and the three groups of "other members". Since this original petition concerns group (2) among other members; we shall extract the relevant portions of S.17:-