The circular requested information about whether the appointment of Vice Chancellors (VCs) was made based on minimum qualification criteria set by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The circular stated that some private universities in Himachal Pradesh have not followed the minimum qualification criteria of UGC. Once the commission became aware of this act, they expressed their concerns about appointing ineligible candidates for high-ranking positions in the field of education.
They further stated that it may affect the overall efficiency and teaching-learning process of HEIs. These issues were addressed with the help of letters written to the commissioners of higher education across India. Gujarat’s Commissioner further ordered all private universities in the state to provide information regarding compliance with UGC norms regarding the appointment of their respective VCs.
The circular also outlined the UGC notification which was issued on 18 July 2018, highlighting the minimum qualification for recruiting academic staff for higher education institutions which includes government colleges, private universities, and grant-in-aid institutions should follow the guidelines.
The Supreme Court in March 2022 gave an important ruling regarding the invalid appointment of Shirish Kulkarni, the vice-chancellor of Sardar Patel University. The court concluded that Kulkarni had insufficient teaching experience to become VC at High Education Institutions.
The court further showed dissatisfaction regarding the Gujarat government’s failure to amend the law for appointing unqualified candidates despite prior guidelines by UGC, ‘the state’s governor in 2014 and Gujarat High Court in 2018’.
