CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has set aside the appointment of Dr N Shettu as Principal of the Pachaiyappa’s College in Kilpauk. Justice S M Subramaniam set aside the appointment while allowing a batch of writ petitions from Dr R Nanthini and six others challenging the appointment on Wednesday. “Courts cannot remain as a mute spectator in respect of such large-scale irregularities and illegalities in the matter of selection to the higher post of Principal of a college as the salaries are being disbursed from the tax-payers coffers.
The interests of the people at large are involved. Thus, it is important to consider all these aspects and more specifically, in respect of the issue on hand, the interim administrator appointed by the High Court categorically enumerated that the procedures of selection were not conducted in consonance with the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations and Sec. 11 (4) of the TN Private Colleges (Regulations Act),” the judge said.
Dr Nanthini’s counsel B Saraswathi and others contended that the UGC Regulations and the provisions of the Private Colleges (Regulation) Act were not followed by the Trust Board while making the selection of Shettu as the Principal. The contention of the Special Government Pleader appearing for the Directorate of Collegiate Education is also ambiguous and it is crystal-clear that the appointment of Shettu alone is approved without even scrutinising the process of selection conducted by the selection panel of the Trust Board.
The technical grounds raised deserve no merit for consideration as this court found that the selection was conducted in a fraudulent manner and to deprive equal opportunity to all eligible candidates, who all are aspiring to secure promotion to the post of Principal, the judge said. Declaring null and void the process of selection conducted by the Board, the judge directed the interim administrator to conduct a fresh selection for appointments or promotions to the post of Principals for all colleges by following rules.