Appointment of Priya Varghese: Kannur University rejects UGC claim

NEW DELHI: The Kannur University and the state government submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that the appointment of Priya Varghese as an Associate Professor in the Malayalam department was in compliance with the UGC rules. The Supreme Court will be considering the petition filed by the UGC against the High Court's judgment upholding the appointment on Monday.

The university registrar said in the affidavit that the criteria laid down by the UGC for the appointment of associate professors had been met in the case of Priya Varghese's appointment. The university also pointed out that the period of research as part of the faculty development program of UGC and the period of working as director of student services at Kannur University can be counted as teaching experience. The university also refuted the UGC's contention that it was a violation of the rules to treat activities done outside the college as teaching experience. It argued that the changing rules of the UGC cannot be given retrospective effect.

Joseph Skaria, head of the Malayalam department of Changanassery SB College, who got the second rank for the post of Associate Professor, had approached the High Court demanding that the rank list should be re-arranged by excluding Priya Varghese, who got the first rank. The petitioner also pointed out that Priya Varghese did not have the minimum qualification of eight years of teaching experience to apply for the post of Associate Professor. The division bench quashed the single bench judgment that Priya was ineligible. Questioning this, the UGC filed an appeal in the Supreme Court. The division bench quashed the single bench's judgment that Priya was ineligible. Questioning this, the UGC filed an appeal in the Supreme Court.