KOCHI: The newly established Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) may not get the approval from University Grants Commission (UGC) or the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) until the anomalies in the KUFOS Act 2011 are rectified.The university ordinance was hurriedly passed by the previous LDF government before the code of conduct came into effect in March.KUFOS was set up by elevating the College of Fisheries, Panangad, under Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), to the first fisheries university in the country.The LDF Government appointed the first Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Registrar by a Government Order dated February 28. Another GO transferring all assets and liabilities of KAU to KUFOS was issued on May 10. One of the biggest discrepancies lies in the service conditions of the staff. The rules state that the employees, who were working in KAU, will not be allowed to opt for the new university, unlike when the new veterinary university was formed and separated from the KAU.In all the universities, the age limit for the post of Registrar is 55. Even in the KUFOS Act, the age limit prescribed for the Registrar is 55. But, the first Registrar is already 57 and stays in the post for five years. So, at the time of his retirement, the Registrar will be 62 years, which is against the Kerala Service Rules.Likewise, there are several factual errors in various clauses of the Act. The English and Malayalam versions of the Act are dissimilar. According to the English version, the Puthuvype Fisheries Station of KAU cannot be affiliated to KUFOS.According to section 73(1) of the Act, the new university will be formed by absorbing two institutions College of Fisheries and Fisheries Station at Puthuvype under the KAU.Further, section 47(3) of the Act states that all the fisheriesrelated activities of KAU will be transferred to KUFOS and that KAU is not entitled to do any fisheriesrelated activities. This means that the stations like Kumarakom (which is one of the best fisheries research stations under KAU), fisheries activities at Mannuthy and other places will have to be closed down. A writ petition in this regard has been filed by K Girindra Babu against the state government in the Kerala High Court. Several petitions have already been submitted to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who also holds the Fisheries portfolio in the government.
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