GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has set aside the appointment of Dr Rajive Mohan Pant as Vice-Chancellor of Assam University, Silchar, holding that he did not meet the UGC's eligibility requirements.
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In an order dated 14 October, in a quo warranto petition filed by Assam University professor Dr Samira Behera, Justice N. Unni Krishnan Nair held that Pant was appointed and continued in office in violation of the advertisement and Regulation 7.3 of the UGC Regulations, 2018.
The regulation requires either ten years as a Professor in a university or ten years in a reputed research or academic administrative organisation. Pant had about seven years as a Professor at NERIST, Nirjuli, and about six years and seven months as Director of NIRD's North-Eastern Regional Centre in Guwahati.
The court held that the two routes are independent, so the periods cannot be added together. It also rejected the argument that Pant's lien on his NERIST professorship during his deputation counted as teaching experience, relying on the Supreme Court's ruling in Prof. Narendra Singh Bhandari.
The court also faulted the Search-cum-Selection Committee. Its 2021 minutes made Pant's shortlisting "subject to confirmation of eligibility" but never recorded how that doubt was resolved. The committee also failed to give the written reasoning that Regulation 7.3(ii) requires, the court said.
No recovery of Pant's salary and allowances was ordered. The appointing authority must hand charge to an eligible person from the university until a regular appointee takes over, and a fresh selection must be completed within four months.
