Rajya Sabha MP and Gujarat Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil on Friday accused Gujarat Government of using favoritism as a policy in appointments. Former leader of opposition took to twitter after the Supreme Court quashed the appointment of Vice-Chancellor of Sardar Patel University.
Congress leader said, Universities should be free from political favoritism. He criticized the appointment of an unqualified person as a Vice Chancellor. “It is shameful that the Gujarat Government appointed unqualified Kulkarni as VC of Sardar Patel University, which the Supreme Court had to quash,” he added. Congress party is demanding resignation of at least six Vice Chancellors of various universities.
A division bench of Supreme Court Justices M.R. Shah and B.V. Nagaratha observed that the Vice-Chancellor of Sardar Patel University did not have a mandatory teaching experience of ten years and a search committee was not formed. Important to note here is that it is mandatory to form a search committee of UGC Chairperson or his nominee as UGC regulations mandates it.
The SC bench was hearing a case filed by an ex-employee of Sardar Patel University, Gambhirdan Gadhvi. The SC in 2019 did not quash the appointment as it was observed that, by the time the Special Leave Petition could be heard only one month of tenure of Kulkarni was remaining. But, as the State Government ignored the UGC regulations and reappointed him for three years the SC quashed his appointment.
Important to note here is that, Sardar Patel University VC resigned on Friday after the Supreme Court judgment. Niranjan Patel has been made in-charge VC till a regular appointment is made.
