Karnataka HC cancels appointment of Meera BK as acting V-C of Maharani Cluster University

New Indian Express

24-05-2025

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court quashed the appointment of Dr Meera BK as acting Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Maharani Cluster University by the Governor of Karnataka and Chancellor of Universities Thaawarchand Gehlot. The high court, however, granted liberty to the Chancellor to appoint an acting vice-chancellor in accordance with the law.
Justice R Nataraj passed the order recently, while allowing partly the petition filed by Dr TM Manjunath, director of the School of Humanities and Liberal Arts of Maharani Cluster University, questioning the notification dated March 28, 2025, issued by the Chancellor for the appointment of Dr Meera, professor, Department of Zoology, Maharani Cluster University, as the acting VC. She was appointed after the retirement of Dr Ushadevi C as acting VC.
The petitioner has also sought direction to the Chancellor to appoint him as acting VC. The court, however, said the claim of the petitioner that he alone should be appointed as acting VC cannot be considered for the simple reason that it is for the Chancellor to exercise discretion to appoint the seniormost person and therefore, this court cannot arrogate to itself the power vested in the Chancellor. Hence, the Chancellor is at liberty to consider appointing an acting VC by Section 16(2) of the Karnataka State Universities Act, 2000 and if the petitioner is eligible, the Chancellor may consider appointing the petitioner in accordance with law, the court said.
Contending that he is a senior director eligible to be appointed as the acting VC and his name was found at the top of the list of directors sent by the Registrar of the varsity to the Chancellor, Manjunath alleged that the Chancellor, without considering his name, appointed senior most woman professor of the Department of Zoology as acting VC, though she was not even a Director of any school of the varsity. The impugned notification was silent as to why the petitioner was not considered and as to how Dr Meera was more suitable for the post, he argued.
However, the counsel representing the Chancellor contended that the university was established to impart quality education to aspiring female students. In furtherance of this objective, the Chancellor intends to better understand the academic and psychological needs of the female students and has appointed Meera as acting V-C.
Rejecting the contention of the Chancellor, the court said that the Special Secretary of the Chancellor did not restrict the post to women candidates while writing to the Registrar of the university to send the list of senior most Deans or Directors. Similarly, it was not mentioned in the impugned notification that there was any irregularity or illegality in appointing the petitioner as a Director. Therefore, the Chancellor cannot now supplement reasons to sustain the impugned notification and therefore the notification is in violation of Section 16(2) of the Act, 2000, the court said.