Hours after MSU V-C tells HC he has resigned, govt notification proclaims his substitute | Ahmedabad Information

At the same time as Shrivastava’s tenure ends on February 8, his lawyer Mrugen Purohit instructed the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Pranav Trivedi on Wednesday that he had “tendered his resignation on Tuesday night to the Extra Chief Secretary”.

Throughout the listening to, Advocate Common Trivedi confirmed to the court docket that the federal government had acquired Shrivastava’s resignation and “will settle for the identical”. Nevertheless, Trivedi knowledgeable the court docket that the cost needed to be handed over to a different official and subsequently, the ultimate acceptance of the resignation could be achieved by Thursday.

In the meantime, in accordance with the notification issued by the Gujarat Schooling Division, signed by Below Secretary Ankur Kumar Upadhyay.  Patel can be “in-charge V-C, in train of the powers conferred by The Gujarat Public Universities Act, 2023”, till the everlasting V-C is appointed in February.

The HC was listening to a petition filed by senior professor Satish Pathak from the Division of Schooling difficult the February 10, 2022 appointment of Shrivastava. On January 3, the state authorities had knowledgeable the HC {that a} search committee had been constituted for the appointment of V-C, for which 80 functions have been acquired. The state authorities had additionally knowledgeable the court docket that the brand new MSU V-C could be appointed by February 8. Shrivastava’s three-year tenure has been a witness to a number of controversies and protests. In November 2023, Pathak had moved the HC contending that the appointment of Shrivastava to the submit was “unlawful” as he didn’t fulfill the College Grants Fee (UGC) eligibility standards of 10 years of expertise as a professor.

“The principle procedural competition was that Shrivastava had solely three years and three months of expertise as towards the required UGC requirement of 10 years,” Pathak instructed The Indian Specific on

Wednesday.

“The  state authorities has determined to just accept his resignation… (it) is certainly a great signal for MSU. The College wants a great administrator and extra importantly, a great human being. That must be the precedence for the federal government to determine the subsequent candidate. Within the interim for a couple of month till February 9, the cost must be handed over to a senior professor, who has ardour for MSU… Because the resignation has occurred, it’s doubtless that the federal government may expedite the appointment of a Vice Chancellor,” he added.

Pathak, who has been a two-term senate member, had said in his grievance earlier than the HC, “It may be seen from the reference letters that three names have been finalised by the search committee to nominate the V-C of MSU. Out of those names, the chosen candidate doesn’t meet the eligibility standards set by the UGC laws in 2018. Regardless of the clear laws in place, Professor Shrivastava’s appointment as V-C is a violation of the Laws…”

‘No proof in favour’

The PIL said, “(Shrivastava), who has been appointed as (MSU) Vice Chancellor, has not served in any of the universities or universities having a nationwide significance. Subsequently, there isn’t any proof in favour… that he has 10 years’ expertise in reputed analysis and/or tutorial administrative organisation with proof of getting demonstrated tutorial management… however it seems that earlier than the committee, solely bio-data was submitted and neither any proof nor any documentary proof was produced or submitted.

“Subsequently, it seems that with out ascertaining the credentials and the proof of proof, solely on the bio information submitted by (Shrivastava), the search committee has recognized and chosen the title of respondent no 6 for the submit of Vice Chancellor,” stated the PIL.

Pathak had additionally prayed that the search committee, itself, was “not constituted in consonance with the UGC Act and the Laws”.

He stated in his petition, “(Shrivastava) is neither eligible nor certified and even not been appointed by the committee constituted in consonance with the Act, and subsequently, the appointment is required to be quashed and put aside”.

The petition additionally submitted proof from the earlier universities, the place Shrivastava was appointed to indicate that he held the submit of “assistant professor” despite the fact that “has posed himself as Dean and Head of Division”, not assembly the UGC’s eligibility standards.

Pathak had challenged the submissions made by Shrivastava earlier than the then search committee, placing forth analysis papers he had authored. The petition had challenged the “integrity and ethical” of Shrivastava, stating that the analysis papers submitted by him to the search committee didn’t have him as the primary writer though his six-page bio information had indicated in any other case.

Pathak had additionally made a reference to the Supreme Courtroom judgment in a civil writ petition difficult the appointment of Professor Shishir Kulkarni because the V-C of Sardar Patel College. Kulkarni was finally faraway from the submit in March 2022.

The MSU administration and Shrivastava remained unavailable for remark.