President withholds assent to 3 university law bills; including one replacing Kerala Governor as Chancellor

President Droupadi Murmu has withheld assent to three university bills passed by the state legislature, including one aimed at divesting Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan from the position of Chancellor of Universities, an official statement said.

The President approved the Kerala Lok Ayukta Bill passed by the state assembly, the Raj Bhavan in a statement said. 

"It is informed that the President of India has withheld assent to the following bills, which Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had referred to Rashtrapati Bhavan for consideration," as per a press release from the Kerala Raj Bhavan. 

The Raj Bhavan, in a statement on Thursday, said that the President has withheld assent to the Kerala University Laws [Amendment No 2] Bill, 2022, which aims to divest the Governor from the position of Chancellor of Universities. 

The President also denied assent to the University Law Amendment Bill, 2022, which deals with the expansion of the Search Committee for the Appointment of Vice Chancellor, and the University Law Amendment Bill, 2021, which deals with the appellate tribunal issue and other amendments to Technological University and others, as per the statement.

The statement further said that, altogether, seven bills had been referred to the president in November 2023. Of these, assent has been accorded to only one bill, namely, the Kerala Lok Ayukta Amendment Bill, 2022. A decision on the other three bills is awaited.