HC sets aside Telangana govt's order on qualifications of VCs

A division bench of the Hyderabad High Court today set aside an order issued by Telangana government notifying the qualifications for appointment of Vice-Chancellors. D Manohar Rao, a retired professor of Osmania University, had challenged the Government Order (GO) on the ground that it would dilute the academic qualifications and experience required for the post and result in lowering the standards at the university. Rao had filed the petition against the state government's action of amending the AP University Act, 1991 and laws governing other universities existing in the state enabling the government to appoint VCs directly without consulting the Governor. The petitoner argued that the government had reduced by five years the requirement of 10 years of teaching experience as a professor mandated under the law for appointment as VCs. The bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Dileep B Bhosale set aside the GO, ruling it could not have diluted the qualifications mandated by the University Grants Commission. The bench directed that the new recruitments for the post of VCs be done on the basis of the earlier criteria. The bench, however, allowed the prayer of the government to suspend the operation of the order for four weeks to enable it to approach the Supreme Court. Except for the Vice-Chancellors of Palamuru and Telangana Universities, all the VCs appointed by the government recently have more than 10 years experience as professors.