HC sets aside appointment of Sir Theagaraya College principal
The Hindu
Says selection committees cannot seek opinion from external experts
A selection committee constituted for identifying a right candidate for the post of principal in a government aided college must consist of experts competent to assess the Academic Performance Indicator (API) of applicants and such a job could not be entrusted to external experts, the Madras High Court has ruled.
Justice C. Saravanan gave this ruling while declaring as irregular the appointment of P. Senthilkumar as principal of Sir Theagaraya College at Old Washermenpet in Chennai in 2018.
Allowing a writ petition filed by the competing candidate K. Thamizharasan, the judge ordered constitution of a new selection committee. The Registrar of the University of Madras was directed to furnish names of experts, to be a part of the new selection committee, within 30 days. The meeting of the selection committee should be fixed within 15 days thereafter and the writ petitioner as well as the incumbent principal could participate in the interview, the judge ordered.
Around 440 MBBS graduates of 2021 are not required to undergo one year of compulsory rural service as per the bond signed by them while joining the medical course through government-quota seats in 2015 as the High Court of Karnataka has said the law, enacted in 2012 for mandatory rural service, remained unenforced for 10 years as it was published in the official gazette only in July 2022.