24-05-2025
HC allows Arya Pratinidhi Sabha to appoint heads for Gurukul Kangri till 2028
Haridwar: Uttarakhand high court has allowed the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha (APS) units of Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi, regarded as the apex governing bodies of Gurukul Kangri (Deemed to be) University, to continue appointing the university's chancellor and vice-chancellor until the end of the 2027–28 financial year.
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It dismissed a petition by Dinanath Sharma, a retired official of the varsity, who had argued that the university must follow the 2023 UGC regulations, which had revoked APS's authority over key appointments.
The court cited a March 3, 2025 letter from the central govt granting the university permission to function under the UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2019 until March 31, 2028. This exemption allows APS to retain appointment powers that were otherwise curtailed by the 2023 regulations.
In its May 21 judgment, the court observed that "without considering provisions of the UGC Act, 1956, especially the interplay between Sections 20 and 26 of the said Act, the issues raised in the writ petition cannot be decided."
Respondents' counsel Ajay Veer Pundir noted that with the dismissal of Sharma's appeal, the earlier stay on the central govt's letter had been lifted. He added that the exemption is conditional and if stipulated terms are not met, the university will be required to amend its Memorandum of Association (MoA) to align with the 2023 regulations after the 2027–28 financial year.
The court had initially stayed the letter's operation on May 9, scheduled a hearing for May 16, and on May 20, a two-judge bench disposed of the case and referred it to a single bench, granting Sharma liberty to seek an expedited hearing.
Faculty members expressed concern over the court's decision, fearing that administrative control reverting to APS would invite political interference. "The court verdict will mark the return of the university's bad days," a faculty member said on condition of anonymity, warning that appointments could be influenced by factional interests rather than merit.
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Reacting to the verdict, Shrawan Kumar Sharma, a retired English professor of the university, said, "The MoA will have to be amended in accordance with UGC Regulations 2023. Bringing down the university's funding to less than 50% within three years is not feasible. Since that's one of the conditions for the exemption, the university will eventually have to adopt the 2023 regulations."
As of now, the university continues to function without a chancellor and under an officiating vice-chancellor, according to a university official.
