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Himachal

Notice to HP University VC over his appointment

punjabnewsline | April 19, 2021 08:07 PM

SHIMLA:The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday issued a notice to the Principal Secretary to Governor-cum-Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University and its Vice-Chancellor Sikander Kumar in a petition demanding to quash the latter's appointment.

A division bench of Chief Justice L. Narayana Swamy and Justice Anoop Chitkara passed the order on the petition of Dharam Pal Singh, who alleged that the appointment was not made in accordance with the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations of 2010.

As per the rules, a person who will be appointed as the Vice-Chancellor must have an experience of 10 years as a university professor or 10 years of experience in an equivalent position.

He said Kumar was promoted to the post of Professor on March 19, 2011, but retrospectively with effect from January 1, 2009, with notional promotion. He said the search committee constituted by the Chancellor invited applications for the post of Vice-Chancellor on August 29, 2017, and on January 7, 2018, again issued similar advertisement.

Thereafter, on June 30, 2018 the Governor's secretariat extended the date to apply for the post of Vice-Chancellor up to July 20, 2018. He said Kumar applied for the post on July 16 and was appointed on the post on August 2.

Kumar allegedly misled the search committee regarding possessing experience of 10 years, one month and seven days, says the petition. It prays to direct Kumar to establish his eligibility for becoming Vice-Chancellor on the date of applying for the post.

"If Sikander Kumar is not found eligible as per law and UGC Regulations, his appointment may be quashed and set aside and the decisions taken by him as Vice-Chancellor may be examined in the larger public interest," says the petitioner.

Listing the matter for the next hearing on May 20, the court had earlier issued notice only to the state and asked it to file the reply.

 

 
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