When a request is made by a college to fill up the vacancies regularly, it is the statutory duty of the affiliating universities (Madras and Annamalai) as per Regulation V (a) (iv) of the University Grant Commission (UGC) to forthwith and immediately consider the same and send the nominees, wrote the judge. Pachaiyappa’s Trust moved the HC to direct the affiliating universities to send the nominees to fill up the notified vacancies according to the order of the Court.

Senior counsel Om Prakash representing Pachaiyappa’s Trust submitted that even though a division bench of the court specifically stated, that the affiliating universities are not sending their nominees to the selection committee as per the original schedule of recruitment.

Additional advocate general (AAG) J Ravindran representing Annamalai University submitted that even though the division bench of this court has ordered that the recruitment to proceed, still Annamalai University, on its own, cannot nominate the experts without consultation of the government.

Special government pleader D Ravichander submitted that while the recruitment has to be done as per the UGC Regulations, the government is also entitled to know the student strength. Already, a communication has been written to the Pachaiyappa’s Trust seeking the particulars as to the student strength, the strength of the teaching and non-teaching staff, he added.