KOCHI: The Syndicate members of Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) on Friday boycotted a meeting of the Syndicate following the refusal of the Vice-Chancellor Dr J Letha to remove a camera that was fixed by her to record the proceedings of the Syndicate meeting.

When the Syndicate convened for the meeting in the morning, the members who were surprised to see the camera protested against it and eight of them staged a walkout demanding that it be removed.

Later K M Shaji MLA, who is also a Syndicate member, told reporters that they were not per se against recording the proceedings but wanted it to come as a decision of the Syndicate.

Later following the protest, the camera was packed up and placed on one side of the room and the Syndicate members returned to the hall for the meeting.

But seeing the camera in the room, they demanded that it be moved out of the room, to which the VC did not agree. Following this, the entire 11 members present in the Syndicate meeting boycotted the meet.

Controversial Syndicate member Sunny P Jose said that the VC could not push the agenda of the Lenin Centre and AKG Centre in the Cusat Syndicate. Dr J Letha said that she had installed the camera since she had the powers to decide the mode of proceedings of the Syndicate meeting.

“Moreover, the meetings have to be transparent and digital recording is mandated as per the decision of the recent VCs meeting convened by the Governor.

It is also mandated as per the NAAC Accreditation proceedings and is also part of e-governance being implemented in the varsity. Calicut, MG and Kerala Universities also have digital recordings of Syndicate meetings,” she said.

She said that the next Syndicate meeting also would have cameras unless and until it was convinced by any Syndicate member that it went against rules.