The Hindu : National : Appointment of UGC Chairman a violation: Centre

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Wednesday, Apr 06, 2005

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National

Appointment of UGC Chairman a violation: Centre

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, APRIL 5. The Centre today told the Madras High Court that the appointment of Arun Nigvekar as Chairman of the University Grants Commission in September 2002 was in violation of the UGC Act.

A counter-affidavit to this effect was filed before Justice K.P. Sivasubramaniam, who is hearing a quo warranto petition filed by K.R. Natarajan against Mr. Nigvekar. The Judge reserved his orders on the matter after hearing senior counsel for the petitioner, K. Chandru, and senior counsel for the Ministries of Human Resource Development and Law, Justice and Company Affairs, Gopal Subramaniam.

The court had admitted the plea and ordered notice on October 20 last.

Today, Mr. Gopal Subramaniam submitted that in terms of Section 6 of the UGC Act, the appointment of Mr. Nigvekar as UGC Chairman was wrong and added that he, however, would not go into the allegations of malafide.

Mr. Chandru said that a member of the search committee constituted to select a Chairman "pushed the case of Mr. Nigvekar," and the then Law Minister gave the opinion clearing such an appointment. "The whole thing is a fraud deserving condemnation," he added.

The counter filed by a Joint Secretary of the HRD Ministry said that Mr. Nigvekar was a member of the UGC from May 1992 to May 1995, and was appointed its Vice-Chairman in September 2000. He was made the UGC Chairman in July 2002. His term comes to an end in September 2005.

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