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Himachal high court stays varsity order assigning VC duties to dean, registrar
Court notes that the university is not adhering to notifications issued on June 7, 2023, requiring matters to be routed through the Pro Vice Chancellor before being placed before the Vice Chancellor
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The High Court of Himachal Pradesh has put on hold an order issued by the Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) Chancellor, assigning the duties of the Vice Chancellor during his foreign tour to the university’s dean of studies, BK Shivram, and registrar Jyoti Rana, instead of Pro Vice Chancellor Rajinder Verma.
Justice Sandeep Sharma passed the interim order while hearing a petition filed by Verma. The October 9 order was made available on Sunday. The court noted that Verma was appointed Pro Vice Chancellor for a three-year term through an order dated June 3, 2023, and assumed charge on June 7, 2023. It observed that he continued to hold the office as no successor had been appointed, in view of the proviso to Section 12-D(2) of the Himachal Pradesh University Act.
The court also noted that the university was not adhering to notifications issued on June 7, 2023, requiring matters to be routed through the Pro Vice Chancellor before being placed before the Vice Chancellor. Verma was also not being invited to meetings of the university’s statutory bodies and authorities, despite continuing to hold office.
Observing that the Act did not bar a Pro Vice Chancellor who continued to hold office from performing the duties of the post, the court held that the Pro Vice Chancellor’s duties could not have been assigned to Shivram and Rana under Section 12-D(2) of the Act.
The court ordered that Verma continue performing the duties of Pro Vice Chancellor as he had been doing before the completion of his tenure. However, the court clarified that its order would not prevent the university from initiating the process of appointing a Pro Vice Chancellor in accordance with the Act. The matter will be heard next on November 4.
