SC quashes appointment of Sardar Patel University's Vice-Chancellor

The request has been quashed on the ground that he was made the VC contrary to the UGC Regulation that a candidate should have 10 years of teaching experience as a professor.

SC quashes appointment of Sardar Patel University's Vice-Chancellor

The Supreme Court has quashed the appointment of Shirish R Kulkarni as vice-chancellor of the Sardar Patel University of Gujarat. The request has been quashed on the ground that he was made the VC contrary to the UGC Regulation that a candidate should have 10 years of teaching experience as a professor and lamented the state’s inaction in not amending the law to bring it at par with UGC norms.

Observing that “the sense of morality must begin from the door of the leader who preaches it,” a bench comprising Justices MR Shah and BV Nagarathna hoped that “the wiser counsel will now prevail and the State Government shall amend the state legislation accordingly on par with the UGC Regulations”, which as such was recommended way back in 2014.

"The appointment of respondent No.4 (Kulkarni ) as vice-chancellor of the SP University – respondent No.2 herein, is contrary to the UGC provisions, namely, UGC Regulations, 2018. We hence allow the present writ petition and issue a writ of quo warranto quashing and setting aside the appointment of respondent No.4 as the vice-chancellor of SP University,” Justice Shah, writing the 58-page judgement for the bench stated.

Allowing the plea of Gambhirdan K Gadhvi, the verdict referred to the UGC regulations and the observations of the Gujarat High Court and the communication of the Governor asking the state government to amend the state law to make it at par with the UGC regulations to ensure the standard of the appointment. “...it is unfortunate that as on today, no further steps have been taken by the State Government, to amend the State legislation and to put the same at par with the UGC Regulations, and the State and the universities thereunder have continued to make the appointments of vice-chancellors just contrary to the UGC Regulations, which as observed hereinabove are binding,” it said.

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