DECKS CLEARED FOR APPOINTMENT OF 1,646 ASST PROFS IN HRY COLLEGES

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday cleared decks for the appointment of 1,646 assistant professors in Haryana colleges. The high court bench of justice Sudhir Mittal dismissed a batch of petitions filed in 2017 challenging the recruitment process, being conducted by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) and directed that appointment letters be issued within four weeks.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday cleared decks for the appointment of 1,646 assistant professors in Haryana colleges.

The high court bench of justice Sudhir Mittal dismissed a batch of petitions filed in 2017 challenging the recruitment process, being conducted by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) and directed that appointment letters be issued within four weeks.

The selection process was initiated in February 2016 for the subjects like computer science, geology, geography, Hindi, English, among others. After the matter reached the court, the HPSC was restrained from making the appointments.

The process was challenged on the ground that the advertisement did not mention the criteria to be adopted for selection of candidates, in some cases reservation was given beyond limit of 50% and that the vertical reservation of 10% was given to economically backward persons in general category, which is illegal. Further it was argued that out of 100 questions in the written test, only 86 questions were evaluated. It was also alleged that selection criterion was contrary to the criteria recommended by the ministry of human resource development.

However, the court held that the HPSC was competent to lay down its own selection criteria and the same cannot be faulted unless it is shown to be arbitrary or unreasonable.

The court was of the view that the petitioners participated in the selection process and were aware of the selection criteria adopted, but decided to challenge the same after they remained unsuccessful. The court was also of the view that UGC Regulations, 2010, are partly mandatory in institutes funded by the central government, but in these colleges where appointments are to be made are run by the state government.

COURT DISMISSES BATCH OF PETITIONS FILED IN 2017 CHALLENGING RECRUITMENT PROCESS BY HPSC