Asha Kishore, former director of the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), has chosen to quit the job at the institute.
Her application for the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) was approved by the president of the institute, an official communication said on Friday.
Dr. Kishore is a Senior Professor in the Department of Neurology of the SCTIMST. She will be relieved from service on December 9, the date on which the High Court of Kerala dismissed her appeal challenging a Central Administrative Tribunal order cancelling the extension of her tenure as director of the SCTIMST.
The court upheld the CAT order and ruled that the Central government had the power to remove the director of the institute.
Dr. Asha Kishore was the director of the SCTIMST from 2015 to 2020.
It was in July that Dr. Kishore was given an extension of five years as director of the institute.
Decision quashed
The decision was quashed by the CAT on the grounds that it did not have the approval of the Central government. Challenging the CAT order, Dr. Kishore moved the High Court, arguing that her original appointment did not have the permission of the Central government.
The High Court however upheld the CAT order that the Union Department of Science and Technology was empowered to take decisions on the institute.
Following the High Court ruling, K. Jayakumar, Senior Professor at the SCTIMST, was appointed director- in-charge on November 9.
Dr. Jayakumar has served as head, Department of Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery at the SCTIMST. He is also a member of the governing body of the institute.
