Appointment of VC to Teachers Education Varsity challenged

A division bench of Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Krishnan Ramasamy before whom the plea moved by advocate K Chakravarthy of Cuddalore district directed the State to file its reply by January 2.

The petitioner has submitted that as per the UGC Regulation 2013, for appointment of VC, the candidate must be a distinguished academician with 10 years of experience as a professor in a university or in an equivalent position in either a research or academic administrative organisation. This apart, a selection committee of eminent persons must be constituted which would in turn recommend three to five names to the office of the Governor for appointment. But, the petitioner said, all such mandatory procedures were not followed in the present appointment, and noted that Thangasamy has only two years of experience as professor and not the mandatory 10 years, which is a clear violation of the UGC Regulation.

Also, relying on various Supreme Court directives which prohibits such appointments, the petitioner wanted the court to pass an interim order restraining Thangasamy from holding the post till the final disposal of the plea and as a final relief, quash his appointment as illegal and invalid.