HC raps CVC for failure to check irregularities at Pondy varsity

Chennai: Madras high court has censured the Central Vigilance Commission for failing to check irregularities in appointments made to the posts of lecturers and assistant professors to the centre for pollution control and energy technology.
“This court has no hesitation to come to a conclusion that ‘all is not well’ in the administration of Pondicherry university,” Justice Battu Devanand said.
The court then quashed the appointment made to the post of assistant professor to the centre for pollution control through a notification dated April 1, 2010.
The court directed Pondicherry University to issue a notification afresh to fill the post of assistant professors of all categories including OBC category.
The order was passed in a plea moved by A Sathianarayanan and others challenging the appointments made through the 2010 notifications.
Representing the petitioner, advocate Balan Haridas pointed out that though the qualification prescribed for the post was a master’s degree in environmental gngineering/ public health engineering, it was modified in the 2010 notification to favour the daughter of former head of department of pollution control and environment technology.
Eligible candidates were bypassed and the daughter of the HoD, Tasneem Abbasi, who holds a chemical engineering degree was appointed to the post, he said
Asserting that the university’s undue favouritism towards Tasneem has been established, the judge said, “This court has no hesitation to hold that the entire selection process and appointment of the respondent to the post as illegal, arbitrary and malicious.”