HC notice over V-C's appointment

The controversy surrounding the appointment of H B Walikar as vice chancellor of Karnatak University turned into a legal battle at the weekend with another aspirant for the post S B Hinchigeri challenging the appointment in high court circuit bench here.

Admitting the petition filed by Hinchigeri, a professor, Justice B S Patil issued notices to governor and chancellor of the University H R Bharadwaj, higher education minister V S Acharya and V-C designate H B Walikar seeking explanation.

Hinchigeri in his petition said governor H R Bharadwaj, also chancellor of universities, had violated section 14(4) of Karnataka State Universities Act 2000 by appointing Walikar as the V-C of Karnatak University (Dharwad) without taking the consent of the state government. He pointed out that the section prescribes that the governor shall appoint a person from a short listed panel submitted by the search committee after taking consent from the government. While the chief minister and higher education minister had recommended professor Hinchigeri for the post of VC, the governor had appointed Walikar whose name also figured in the list submitted by the search committee. Hinchigeri is presently the registrar of the varsity.

It may be recalled here that the state government had openly expressed its displeasure over the governor’s act of appointing professor Walikar as V-C much against the wishes of the government and higher education minister V S Acharya had even written to the governor expressing his displeasure.

Justice Patil while issuing notices said the appointment of Walikar as Karnatak University’s VC is subject the final verdict of the court. Meanwhile, professor Walikar is all set to take over as VC on Monday. He will replace professor Srinivas Saidapur whose term came to an end on Saturday.