The bench headed by Justice TS Thakur said that the university can not modify or digress from the existing norms to suit itself. “One that you have appointed someone without proper qualifications and then there is a defiance on your part”, it said. “They work hard.” The court further clarified that the question is not the competence of bureaucrats or army officers but whether their appointment is well within the rules. “Tomorrow you will bring in some police officer and appoint him as VC”. Ahmed had moved the apex court after Allahabad High Court rejected his plea to remove Shah.
Advertisement
“You are a central university”.
The apex court posted the matter for hearing on September 26.
While AMU is saying that given its minority character, it was not obliged to follow UGC regulations, but the same is disputed by the regulatory body. We are not questioning his abilities. He added, “Lt Gen Shah said that there was no scope at AMU for tolerating any incident which smacked of anti-national sentiments”.
The UGC Regulations make it explicitly clear that “the Vice Chancellor should be a distinguished academician with a minimum of 10 years of experience as professor in a university system or 10 years of experience in an equivalent position in a reputed research and/or academic administrative organisation”, Bhushan said.
Advertisement
But counsel Prashant Bhushan, who appeared for Abrar Ahmed, an AMU alumnus who has challenged Shah’s appointment, said it should be quashed. The bench, which also included Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, agreed, saying: “If there are regulations and applicable to a central university, then the VC has to be appointed as per the scheme that says he must be an outstanding academician”.
