In a major setback to Kerala, the Supreme Court today upheld the High Court verdict quashing the appointment of Dalit woman thinker Rekha Raj as assistant professor at Mahatma Gandhi University. The Supreme Court rejected the petition by strongly criticizing Mahatma Gandhi University. The court stated that the method of appointment made by MG University is pure nonsense and cannot be accepted.
The High Court cancelled the appointment of Rekha Raj to the post of Assistant Professor in Gandhian Studies at Mahatma Gandhi University and ordered that Nisha Velappan Nair, who came second in the rank list, be immediately appointed. Mahatma Gandhi University and Rekha Raj approached the Supreme Court against this. But the Supreme Court clarified that the argument in the petitions cannot be accepted. Counsel also pointed out to the court that the rules provide for the university to have the power to grant relaxation in terms of appointment, but the court did not accept it.
The court inquired as to why only one of Rekha Raj and Nisha Velappan Nair had Ph.D. marks for appointment. Sakshi Kakkar, the lawyer of the university, pointed out in the court that NET is the basic qualification and Nisha Velappan Nair’s PhD marks were not calculated due to lack of NET. But a bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and JK Maheshwari pointed out that this cannot be accepted.
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