Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has issued notices to Dr. Ghanta Chakrapani, the Vice-Chancellor of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University (BRAOU), along with several government officials, in response to a writ petition challenging his appointment.
The petition was filed by Dr. B Kumara Swamy, a retired Associate Professor, who raised significant concerns regarding the adherence of Dr. Chakrapani’s appointment to the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations and other statutory requirements.
Chakrapani’s appointment contravenes UGC regulations: Petitioner
Dr. Kumara Swamy argues that Dr. Chakrapani’s appointment contravenes UGC regulations, which mandate that candidates for the Vice-Chancellor position must be distinguished academicians with a minimum of ten years of experience as a Professor at a university.
According to the petitioner’s counsel, Mahesh Mamindla, Dr. Chakrapani has only approximately eight years of experience since his promotion to Professor in 2009.
Additionally, the petitioner highlighted that Dr. Chakrapani exceeded the statutory age limit of 60 years for the Vice-Chancellor role, as UGC regulations prohibit individuals over this age from being appointed to such leadership positions in universities.
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Notably, Dr. Chakrapani previously served as the Chairman of the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TGPSC) from December 2014 to December 2020, during which time he was not actively engaged in his academic role.
The court also reviewed a request from the petitioner for a Writ of Quo Warranto against the Principal Secretary to the Governor of Telangana, who had approved Dr. Chakrapani’s appointment.
However, Justice K Lakshman rejected this request and instructed the petitioner to amend the petition by removing the Principal Secretary as a respondent.
The court has mandated that various officials, including the Telangana Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary of Higher Education, provide justifications for Dr. Chakrapani’s appointment, especially in light of allegations that it violates the University Act of 1982 and other relevant rules governing academic appointments in the state
