Maharashtra Governor and Chancellor of Universities in the State Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Thursday gave marching orders to Mumbai University Vice Chancellor Dr Rajan Welukar, in the wake of a Bombay High Court’s ruling that the latter’s appointment to the post lacked “application of mind” and violated the criteria stipulated for the job.
Two months after a HC division bench of Justices PV Hardas and Anuja Prabhudesai questioned the appointment of the current Vice Chancellor, the Governor directed Welukar to abstain from attending the office and discharging his duties “with immediate effect”, and appointed the current Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Naresh Chandra to act as the officiating Vice Chancellor of the Mumbai University.
“The Chancellor has taken the decision in the light of orders passed by the Bombay High Court from time to time while hearing the petitions challenging the essential eligibility qualification possessed by Dr Rajan Welukar and considering the fact that the High Court has directed a Search Committee to reconsider the question of the eligibility of Dr Welukar for the post of Vice Chancellor,” a statement from Raj Bhavan stated.
Indicting the search committee that recommended Welukar’s appointment as the Mumbai University vice chancellor for “lack of application of application of mind”, the HC division bench had on December 11 last year held that selection committee had not followed one of the criteria for the VC’s post that the candidate should have published at least five research articles after his/her PhD in international peer-reviewed journals, or he/she should be author of a text book.
While referring the petition back to the original bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Girish Godbole for further hearing, the HC division bench had also ruled that it could use its Rsspecial jurisdiction’ to direct the selection committee to reconsider its decision of short-listing Welukar.
Welukar was appointment as the Mumbai University vice chancellor in July 2010. Subsequently, Vasant Ganu Patil and AD Sawant had challenged his appointment in the High Court.
On August 10, 2011, a HC bench of Chief Justice Shah and Justice Godbole had delivered a split verdict. While Justice Shah held that Welukar had the necessary qualifications, Justice Godbole noted that of the 12 publications cited by Welukar, only a few could be considered as they came after his September 2004 PhD.
The matter was then referred to a single judge, Justice SJ Vazifdar, who on February 22, 2012, agreed with Justice Godbole but could not decide the issue. later on May 11, 2012 the matter was referred to the bench headed by a HC division bench of Justices Hardas and Anuja Prabhudesai which on December 11, 2014 ruled that the appointment was not in conformity with the criteria.
Welcoming the Governor’s directive to sack Welukar from his post as the vice chancellor of the Mumbai Universirty, Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde said: “I welcome the decision taken by the Governor in his capacity as the chancellor of universities in the State.
Things would not have reached such a situation in the University we are witnessing today, had there not been political interference in its affairs. let us face it, Welukar would not have been appointed as the University vice chancellor, but for the pressure brought to bear on the search committee by the then ruling Democratic Front leaders”.