HC notice over appointment of SUPVA VC

Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, August 21

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a notice of motion to the Chancellor of the State University of Performing and Visual Arts (SUPVA) in Rohtak on a petition challenging appointment of Prof Rajbir Singh as Vice-Chancellor (VC).

A Divisional Bench of Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Anil Kshetrpal has also served notices to the chairperson of the selection committee that cleared the name of Singh and the VC of Kurukshetra University (KU). The notice of motion is returnable on October 23.

The petitioner, Ashutosh Mishra, is Dean of a private university in Punjab. Mishra was earlier a faculty member at the KU’s Institute of Mass Communication and Media Technology. Mishra submitted that as a teacher, he was concerned over deteriorating standard of media education.

He stated that Singh was PRO with the Haryana Government when he was appointed as KU professor. He alleged that Singh did not fulfil eligibility criterion of experience of 10 years as professor or equivalent post.

At the time appointment as VC on February 28, Singh was faculty member at KU. In its order on Monday, the Bench observed that prima facie, there was “force in submission requiring scrutiny”.

The Bench put on hold the order of a single Judge that had imposed Rs 50,000 as costs on the petitioner while questioning his locus standi. Mishra stated that though Singh did not fulfil key eligibility criterion of experience, he was appointed as VC.