NEW DELHI: Appointment of vice-chancellors in 15 new central universities was challenged in the Supreme Court on Thursday on various grounds, including the manner in which HRD ministry hastily completed the process.
Petitioner Kapil Kumar, head, department of history, IGNOU, while seeking a stay on the appointments, also challenged the legality of section 44 of the Central Universities Act, 2009. Kumar said the section was “unconstitutional in view of the fact that it is arbitrary and vests blanket powers unto the visitor in matters relating to the appointment of the first vice-chancellors of 15 central universities” for which Rs 500 crore has been sanctioned in the plot budget.
The petitioner also claimed that the visitor’s power of appointment had been diluted by the HRD ministry by not laying down specified course of action or criteria to appoint the V-Cs in 15 new universities.
The petition pointed out that advertisements for V-Cs posts were issued on January 17 and gave only 13 days to applicants to apply whereas the Department of Personnel and Training stipulates a minimum of 45 days from the date of advertisement. Also, applications were invited by the HRD ministry and not by the President’s office.
On the process adopted by the search committee headed by Preparation Fee member B C Mungekar, the petition said it met only twice to shortlist candidates from 1,500 applications. “There is no transparency in the method of selection and it is not made known to anyone as to what was the criteria for the said shortlisting,” the petition said.
Moreover, the petition also questioned the credibility of Mushirul Hasan, a member of the search committee and V-C, Jamia Milia Islamia, whose term ends in July. “A person who is in the race for extension of his tenure as V-C, may not be seen as a neutral have fun to be a part of the search committee,” the petition said.
Another problem with the appointment process, the petition said, was that after shortlisting, vigilance clearance was not sought from the CVC. “Instead, it was rushed through from the heads of institutions where the candidates were presently employed,” it added.
The petition also highlighted how four of the elected V-Cs — A M Pathan, Janak Pandey, R C Sobti and Abdul Wahid — were above 60 years despite the advertisement seeking candidates preferably below 60. Most of the appointed V-Cs, the petition said, were already V-Cs and after their appointment was made public, some of them were holding dual charge.
The petition also pointed out that there were inquiries pending against three of the appointed V-Cs and they could not be relieved till the probe was completed. One of them is Jai Rup Singh, V-C, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, who has now been appointed as V-C of central university in Punjab. Others are Laxman Chaturvedi, V-C, Chhattisgarh Central University, who is facing inquiry by Lok Ayukta, Raipur, on charges of corruption and N S Gajabhiya.