Delhi HC dismisses plea challenging appointment of professor in Jamia Millia Islamia

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has dismissed a plea challenging the appointment of a professor in the Department of History and Culture at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), saying no case was made out.

Justice Yogesh Khanna noted that the authorities have shown various instances where several appointments have been made to the post of professor across universities in the country including JMI, Aligarh Muslim University and Maulana Azad National Urdu University. “In view of the above there is no case made out for the issuance of notice to the respondent, thus, the petition is accordingly dismissed,” the court said.

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The petitioner had challenged the entire decision making process culminating in the selection and appointment of Nazim Hussain Al-Jafri as a Professor in the Department of History and Culture in JMI on the ground that it was done in flagrant violation or contravention and total non-compliance of the Statute of the Jamia Millia Islamia Act, read with clauses of the UGC Regulations.

Hussain was also assigned additional responsibilities of Registrar in JMI. Advocate M Sarwar, representing petitioner Mohammad Javed Malik, said the university had issued advertisement in June last year inviting applications in various departments while laying down the eligibility criteria and qualifications from applicants. However, on January 20, this year, the Vice Chancellor of the university unilaterally appointed Hussain to post of Professor in Department of History and Culture by invoking Section 11(3) of the Jamia Millia Islamia Act.

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Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma along with Standing Counsel Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi and Pritish Sabhrawal, representing the JMI, said Hussain has more than 35 years of vast experience in university administration and he has also been given the assignment to act as VC at Khwaja Moinuddin (State) on several occasions and served in different universities in various capacities.