Uttarakhand: Appointment of SS Jeena University's Vice-Chancellor revoked by HC

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand High Court has revoked the appointment of SS Jeena University's first Vice Chancellor NS Bhandari, saying that it goes against the University Grants Commission's rules.

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Apart from not fulfilling the UGC's eligibility criteria, Bhandari was unworthy of the post because he was a member of the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission, social activist Ravindra Jugran, who challenged the appointment, said. He said that two petitions against the appointment of university VCs were pending before the high court.

According to Article 319 of the Constitution, anyone who has been a member of the Union Public Service Commission or the State Public Service Commission cannot join a service under the central or state governments.

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Uttarakhand's Higher Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat said a legal opinion is being taken on the matter. The high court had removed Doon University Vice Chancellor Chandrashekhar Nautiyal in December 2019 on similar grounds.

Jugran said two more of his petitions challenging appointments of Kumaon University Vice Chancellor NK Joshi and Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna University Vice Chancellor Annapurna Nautiyal were pending before the high court. He alleged that Joshi is ineligible for the post as he does not meet the criteria and more than half of the information provided by him in his resume is false and added that Annapurna Nautiyal had not even applied for the post of VC.

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The activist said it is because of these reasons that he has sought annulment of their appointment by the high court. He alleged that CBI and other agencies were conducting investigations against a person who was about to be finalised as the VC of the Sri Dev Suman University last year and another person for the post of Doon University VC this year.

Jugran said he had written to the then governor and chancellor giving this information which had finally led to the removal of their names from consideration. He alleged that the state government was responsible for the "bad" situation of higher education.