Chandigarh: The process for selecting assistant professor by the Central University of Haryana has come under judicial scanner, with the Punjab and Haryana High Court putting the state on notice and ordering stay.

Chandigarh: The process for selecting assistant professor by the Central University of Haryana has come under judicial scanner, with the Punjab and Haryana High Court putting the state on notice and ordering stay.

The order by Justice Amol Rattan Singh of the High Court came after the Bench was told that the selection criterion was modified at a subsequent stage. Petitioner Sangeeta through her counsel Sumit Sangwan had submitted that the respondent-varsity changed the criteria for selection to the post of Assistant Professor almost two years after the last date for receipt of applications as per the advertisement.

Elaborating, the counsel submitted the varsity added five marks for the qualification of Ph.D. Initially as per the advertisement, 10 marks were to be awarded for a Ph.D degree. But it was changed to 15 marks after the receipt of applications. He submitted that the move on the part of the university amounted to an attempt to favour certain specific candidates.

After hearing the counsel for the petitioner, the Bench of Justice Amol Rattan Singh issued notice of motion before fixing October 4 as the next date of hearing in the case. Before parting with the order, Justice Amol Rattan Singh added in the order: “In the meanwhile, selection to the post applied for by the petitioner shall remain stayed, till the next date of hearing only”.

The petitioner had earlier stated that the varsity advertised posts for direct recruitment of teaching staff, including professor, associate professor and assistant professor in July 2015. She applied for the post of assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science. In May this year, the respondent university issued the amended scrutiny guidelines and selection criteria.

It amounted to flagrant violation of settled law, as criteria cannot be changed after the advertisement, which marked the initiation of selection procedure. She added the respondents did not conduct interviews to the post in view of earlier criteria. The new guidelines and criteria were issued with the malafide intention to adjust their favourites and relatives. It was also in gross violation of the UGC regulations.