Kerala University Registrar Withdraws HC Plea in Bharat Mata Row After Reinstatement

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala – Recently, a petition that was filled by the Registrar of Kerala University, K.S. Anil Kumar against his suspension got recalled in Kerala High Court. This is the withdrawal after the University Syndicate reinstated him to the post effectively ensuring that the grievance which prompted him to challenge the decision in a court of law is resolved. The events leading to such state of affairs were a scandal regarding the exhibition of a portrait of Bharat Mata in the program planned at the Senate Hall of the university.

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Case History to the Controversy: Bharat Mata Portrait

The origin of the conflict goes back to June 25 2025, when the Sree Padmanabha Seva Samiti had a seminar in Kerala University Senate hall. This was the 50 th anniversary of the declaration of Emergency and the Chief Guest, here was the Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. Prior to the commencement of the activity, there has been display of a portrait picture of Bharat Mata accompanied by saffron flag, on the stage, albeit purportedly.

Such student movements like the Students Federation of India (SFI) and the Kerala Students Union (KSU) protested instantly against this exhibition since, they argued that this was a religious image that had not been appropriate in a secular academic world setting.

Action of Registrar and Suspension by Him

The Registrar, K.S. Anil Kumar informed that the way they displayed the portrait amounted to contravention of guidelines on use of the Senate Hall by universities. He said he asked the organizers to get rid of the image. He was under the pressure to cancel the authorization of the event when the issue became heated with student groups protesting this alleged refusal of the permission. The Registrar persisted with the claim that he did this as means of averting possible confrontations and violence amongst students.

But Mohanan Kunnummal, the Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Kerala University did not see it that way when the Registrar did just that. On July 2, 2025, the VC suspended on allegation of misconduct, insubordination and disrespect towards the Governor who is also the Chancellor of the university. In its order of suspension the VC claimed that Anil Kumar had revoked the permission to the event when the same had already occurred and the Governor was on the podium. The report of the VC to the Syndicate described the acts of the Registrar as wilful disobedience and dereliction of duty.

Legal Buste in High Court

After his suspension, K.S. Anil Kumar moved a writ petition to the Kerala High Court against the decision of the vice-chancellor. Anil Kumar argued that his suspension was beyond the law, arbitrary, unfair, unreasonable and could also be malicious as he had contended in his petition. He claimed that when the incident happened, the VC was not there and he had suspended without weighing all the facts to the case properly. He also claimed that the publicity of the image of Bharat Mata which he referred to as photograph of a lady holding saffron flag in similar nature to an idol of a Hindu goddess was a practical threat to violence in the light of the excited student groups.

On July 4, 2025, a Kerala High Court, which had Justice N. Nagaresh presiding over it, refused to grant an immediate stay on the suspension order. The court, instead, directed the university and the VC to avail their statements saying that it seemed that views on the matter were different even within the institution itself. The same court planned an elaborate hearing of July 7, 2025.

Intervention and Reinstatement of Syndicate

In the interim, i.e. on July 6, 2025 the Kerala University Syndicate held a special meeting. This was a controversial gathering and the meeting was apparently tried to be dissolved by the Vice-Chancellor-in-charge, Ciza Thomas (standing in with Mohanan Kunnummal) because the General Body meeting was reported to be barely functioning. But most Syndicate members who had supported the left democratic Front (LDF) government continued with the meeting and a senior member of the syndicate, P.M. Radhamani was asked to preside over the meeting after the VC and two others had walked out.

The Syndicate has issued a decision to withdraw suspension of K.S. Anil Kumar. They referred to the Section 12 (1) of the Kerala University Act and held that the Syndicate was the only authority that was vested with power to either appoint or remove the Registrar. Also, they enacted Section 10(13) and 10(14) related to the Act which has the provision that although it grants the VC emergency powers in the absence of the Syndicate, the powers shall remain subject to ratification by the Syndicate. After this ruling a decision was made to reinstate Anil Kumar and he was hence resumed as Registrar. Another panel that was set-up by the Syndicate was a three-member panel to look into the whole incident.

High Court Plea Withdrawal

When the petition moved by K.S. Anil Kumar was heard by Justice D.K. Singh of the Kerala High Court in July 2025, his senior counsel entered a note before the court informing that the Syndicate has decided to end the suspension and reinstate him. The counsel therefore applied to be allowed to withdraw the petition.

The High Court granted the request and disallowed the petition as being withdrawn. Justice D.K. Singh made it orally clear that the Syndicate having taken the decision to re-appoint the Registrar, the validity of such decision would have to be tested by the relevant authority in different legal ways, should the Vice-Chancellor wanted to give a motion to it. In so doing, the court did not seek the merits of the decision of the Syndicate but only in the sense that the immediate complaint of the petitioner (his suspension) had already been acted upon by the internal body of the university.

What Followed and Juridical Bells and Whistles

The administrative scenario at Kerala University was complicated although the Registrar was reinstated and his plea was withdrawn. The in-charge Vice-Chancellor, Ciza Thomas, held that meeting of the Syndicate which reinstated Anil Kumar was not valid by saying that she had dissolved it before the meeting could pass the decision. She later elevated Mini Dijo Kappen to be the ad interim Registrar. This resulted in a scenario whereby two people used to hold the post of the Registrar at one time.

Moreover, the Governor of Kerala later noted that the decision of Syndicate to reopen the position of the Registrar, which was adopted during the meeting that, in his opinion, he did not consider legal, could be considered as invalid. Being the Chancellor, the Governor has claimed that the Vice-Chancellor could disapprove such decisions where he failed to get the due approval. The Vice-Chancellor is also said to have launched disciplinary proceedings against other University officials involved and also registered a complaint with the police over protests on the campus.

The dismissal of the plea in the High Court by K.S. Anil Kumar means that his direct challenge in suspension is done. Nonetheless, the overall legal and administrative consequences with relation to the powers of the Vice-Chancellor compared to the Syndicate in the university system, and the legitimacy of reinstatement decision carried out by the Syndicate are still exposed to the risk of future legal challenge by other agents. The fact that the High Court has observed that the only remaining element is that the accuracy of the decision made by the Syndicate should be decided by the appropriate authority leaves an element of creating other legal steps in the case.