NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, MARCH 23
The Gujarat High Court has temporarily stayed an order of the University Grants Commission (UGC) pertaining to removal of the Gujarat Vidyapith’s Vice Chancellor Rajendra Khimani.
Justice Biren Vaishnav in an order passed on Tuesday said no coercive steps should be taken against the V-C on the basis of minutes of the UGC’ November 2021 resolution, seeking his removal over procedural lapses in his appointment.
The UGC had directed chancellor of the Ahmedabad-based Gujarat Vidyapith, a deemed university that was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920, to remove the V-C with immediate effect or the institution to face penal action like withholding of grants.
Khimani had moved the court seeking its direction to declare the UGC’s decision as “illegal and arbitrary” and to be accordingly quashed and set aside.
A committee of the UGC had looked into the appointment of Khimani as the university’s V-C and concluded that there were procedural lapses in his appointment.
As per the UGC, its fact finding committee had separately found that Khimani was also responsible for lapses in administrative and financial matters as the university’s registrar between 2004 and 2009.
The UGC had passed a resolution, directing the chancellor to remove Khimani with immediate effect or the university to face penal action such as withholding of grants in the face of failing to comply with the order.
“Prima facie, this indicates that the university is left with no choice but to remove the V-C without following the due process, which would at least require following the basic principles of natural justice,” the court said in its order.
It issued a notice to the respondents UGC and Gujarat Vidyapith and posted the matter for further hearing on April 5.
