Taking up a petition seeking directions for annulling the board of governors' decision upholding service extension to Rajneesh Arora as vice-chancellor of Punjab Technical University (PTU), Jalandhar, the Punjab and Haryana high court has issued notice to the PTU and Arora, seeking their replies.
Hearing a petition filed by Narinder Paul Singh, former dean of the directorate of distance education, PTU, the court led by justice Mahesh Grover issued notices for September 24 to the PTU and Arora. The petitioner had earlier raised questions on Arora's appointment to the post on December 19, 2008, and three-year extension vide a notification on November 21, 2011.
The former dean had also sought investigation by the Punjab vigilance bureau, at which, on July 8, the high court had given the university's board of governors six weeks to review its decision of service extension to Arora. The petitioner has again approached the high court, submitting that the board had on August 19 met in New Delhi and upheld the extension to Arora.
The petitioner has submitted that Arora is ineligible under the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations issued on June 3, 2010, which prescribe minimum qualification. The rules require at least 10 years of experience as professor or in an equivalent position for holding the V-C's post, which Arora did not have at the time of appointment. "When he didn't have the experience to be appointed V-C, how can he be granted extension of service," the petitioner submitted.
{{/usCountry}}The petitioner has submitted that Arora is ineligible under the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations issued on June 3, 2010, which prescribe minimum qualification. The rules require at least 10 years of experience as professor or in an equivalent position for holding the V-C's post, which Arora did not have at the time of appointment. "When he didn't have the experience to be appointed V-C, how can he be granted extension of service," the petitioner submitted.
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