‘Above the age limit’: ICT professor moves HC against VC’s second term reappointment

MUMBAI: A senior professor at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, has moved the Bombay High Court challenging the reappointment of vice-chancellor Aniruddha B Pandit for a second five-year term, alleging that the prescribed selection procedure was not followed and that the appointment was made despite Pandit being above the age limit stipulated under University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations

MUMBAI: A senior professor at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, has moved the Bombay High Court challenging the reappointment of vice-chancellor Aniruddha B Pandit for a second five-year term, alleging that the prescribed selection procedure was not followed and that the appointment was made despite Pandit being above the age limit stipulated under University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations. The professor has also sought an inquiry into alleged administrative and financial irregularities at the institute flagged in a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report.

Professor Bhaskar N Thorat, through advocate Vishwanath Patil, has filed a writ petition seeking that Pandit’s reappointment be set aside and appropriate action, including his removal, be taken if the allegations are established.

The petition names the Union and Maharashtra governments’ higher education departments, the UGC, the ICT Board of Governors, the chancellor and the vice-chancellor as respondents.

Pandit was reappointed for a second five-year term after his first tenure ended in November 2024. Thorat has alleged that the reappointment did not follow the procedure prescribed for deemed universities, particularly the requirement for a search-cum-selection committee to recommend a panel of three candidates from which the chancellor is to appoint the vice-chancellor.

According to the petition, the UGC regulations for deemed-to-be universities issued in 2023 require the vice-chancellor to be appointed by the chancellor from a panel of three names recommended by a search-cum-selection committee. Thorat has contended that this procedure was not followed in Pandit’s reappointment. He has also alleged that Pandit was above 66 years of age when the reappointment was made.

One of the issues cited is a 17-year delay in establishing the Department of Atomic Energy-ICT Centre for Chemical Engineering and Research at the institute’s Matunga campus. According to the petition, ₹46.31 crore in funds remained blocked during the delay, while the cost of the project increased by 22.22%.

The audit findings cited by Thorat also relate to construction work at ICT’s Jalna campus. The petition alleges that there was no formal agreement with the contractor and that offline tenders were used despite government instructions requiring e-tendering.

Thorat has claimed that he had raised objections over the alleged irregularities with the authorities in September 2024. The Maharashtra government’s higher and technical education department subsequently directed an inquiry into his complaint in November 2024, according to the petition. Subsequent correspondence sought clarifications and a factual report from the institute.

The professor has further claimed that despite making representations seeking action on the audit findings, he received no response from the authorities. He subsequently issued a legal notice to the authorities on July 3 this year, the petition states.

Apart from challenging Pandit’s reappointment, Thorat has asked the High Court to direct the authorities to conduct an inquiry into the alleged administrative and financial irregularities and take appropriate action based on its findings.

The matter is sub judice. The institute has declined to comment at this stage.