RTI activist alleges infirmities in appointment of VC’s wife
16 Mar, 2013On a petition filed by RTI activist Dr Rajinder Singla, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notices to Punjab University and its Vice-Chancellor Arun Grover. In the petition, it has been alleged that the appointment of the wife of the Vice-Chancellor Dr Neera Grover in the Department of Music as a Professor has been against the laws. She has been appointed in the music department as the Vocal Studies professor.
It has been alleged in the petition that the university invited applications for the post, with November 1, 2010, as the last date. However, after Grover was notified as Vice-Chancellor in June 2012, a meeting of the academic and administrative committee of the music department held on July 5, 2012. Despite candidates already having been short-listed, the Committee recommended that the V-C's be offered an emergent appointment as professor against the vacant post.
Dr Neera Grover applied for the post on July 17, 2012, with a request for condoning the delay of one year and eight months for submitting the application. The delay was condoned and Dr Neera Grover was selected. By invoking provisions for emergency appointments, she was given an appointment for a period of one year and she joined in December, 2012.
Singla has demanded that the appointment of Dr Neera Grover merits to be set aside on the ground that it is the result of nepotism, malafide, arbitrary, discriminatory, misuse of the authority and autonomy. He has asked the court to quash her appointment and to fill the post through re-advertisement.