Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 13 (IANS): Even as Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has asked Kannur University Vice-Chancellor for a report on alleged irregularity in the appointment of the wife of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's private secretary K.K. Ragesh as an associate professor of Malayalam, RTI reveals that she scored the maximum marks in the personal interview.

In June, Priya Varghese was cleared for appointment as an associate professor of Malayalam at Kannur University, after she was placed first among the six candidates who had appeared for the interview.

Incidentally, the RTI information that surfaced on Saturday revealed that Priya got the maximum marks (32 out of 50) in the personal interview, while the second-ranked candidate scored 30.

The RTI information also revealed that her research score was a mere 156, while the second-ranked candidate secured 651.

Priya was ranked first based on the personal interview and given the appointment order.

From the time the interview process had begun in November 2021, it was being said Varghese will get the job, while the Youth Congress was up in arms that the university's Vice Chancellor, Gopinath Raveendran was doing his best to get an extension of service, which he got, soon after the interviews ended.

The Save University Campaign Committee and a few others have been protesting ever since Varghese's name appeared among the six candidates shortlisted for the interview.

Those opposing her appointment highlighted that the qualifications required to become an associate professor included having a Ph.D. degree and eight years of teaching experience, which she did not have.

They claimed that the three years of leave she had taken to complete her Ph.D., cannot be counted as teaching experience.

Besides, her experience of two years as a student director on deputation at the Kannur University also cannot be counted as teaching experience, they said.

However, Varghese has all along stood her ground, claiming that she has all the required qualifications for the post.

With the controversy continuing to grab headlines, even though the University cleared her appointment, she did not join last week. Her her deputation was extended for a year, where she presently works in a language-related state-run institution.

Now all eyes are on the Governor on what he does with the complaints.