Apex court seeks AMU response on VC appointment

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday sought the Aligarh Muslim University’s (AMU) response on a petition seeking a direction to quash the appointment of its vicechancellor.

A bench of justice Ranjan Gogoi and justice N V Ramana issued notice to the university, directing it to file its reply in six weeks on the appeal challenging the Allahabad high court order which had dismissed the plea of an alumni of the university.

The high court on October 16 had junked the petition challenging the appointment of Lt Gen Zameeruddin Shah, noting there was “nothing wrong with the procedure (adopted)”.

The appointment of Shah as VC of AMU on May 11, 2012 was challenged on the ground that according to the regulations of University Grants Commission (UGC), the VC ought to have worked for at least 10 years as a professor in a university or on an equivalent post in a research or academic institute.

The petitioner, Syed Abrar Ahmed, had argued before the high court that the regulations which pertained to minimum qualifications and maintenance of standards in higher education - had become binding on the AMU when it had adopted these on December 6, 2010.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner, contended that the high court had “erroneously refused to quash the appointment of the VC, in contradiction of the mandatory provisions of the UGC Regulation, 2010”.

Bhushan, assisted by advocate Govind Jee, contended that the appointment of the AMU VC is contrary to the UGC Regulations, 2010 (the present VC was appointed on May 11, 2012 in contravention of the UGC Regulations, 2010 so far as the qualifications are concerned).