By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Aligarh: The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on Aligarh Muslim University regarding the appointment of Vice Chancellor Lt Gen (Retd) Zameeruddin Shah who happens to be a former Lieutenant General of the Indian army but has no academic qualification.
As soon as this matter came up for hearing, Chief Justice of India Justice TS Thakur asked with a surprise, “The General (sic) continues to be the vice chancellor.”
It must be pointed out that the AMU VC Zameeruddin Shah was appointed disregarding the UGC regulation 2010 which clearly states that a Vice Chancellor should be an academic with minimum ten years of experience. Shah holds just a postgraduate degree, that too from an Army college.
Slamming the AMU authorities, Justice Thakur said, “You are doing two wrongs. One that you have appointed someone without proper qualifications and then there is a defiance on your part.”
“If the whole country is following UGC regulations then why not AMU if it is a central university. Tomorrow you will bring in some police officer and appoint him as VC.”
Shah’s appointment was challenged in the Allahabad High Court. The high court, however, had found no fault in the appointment and subsequently the order was challenged in SC by one Abrar Ahmed.
Appearing for the petitioner, lawyer Prashant Bhushan said Shah not only continues to be VC but also was making illegal appointments in the University and has transferred the university funds to a private trust.
Salman Khurshid on behalf of the VC said AMU is a minority university and therefore the VC’s appointment should be seen in this context. The CJI rejected this point as it was not raised in the high court.
The apex court will continue hearing on next Monday. While AMU maintains it was not mandatory to follow the UGC regulation, the regulatory body feels otherwise.