SC to hear plea challenging appointment of Lt. Gen. Shah as AMU Vice Chancellor

The Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear the plea filed by Syed Abrar Ahmed challenging the appointment of Lt. Gen. Zameeruddin Shah (retired) as Aligarh Muslim University's (AMU) Vice Chancellor in May 2012.

The petitioner challenged his appointment on the ground that according to the regulations of University Grants Commission (UGC), the V-C ought to have worked for at least 10 years as a professor in a university or on an equivalent post in a research or academic institution and sought a direction to quash his appointment.

Hearing the matter on Thursday, a Bench led by Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur questioned AMU's ethics in appointing someone to the post of Vice Chancellor. "Can anybody unconnected with academics be also appointed? What are the criteria," the bench questioned.

To which, AMU counsel Raju Ramachandran said the university, in its wisdom, appoints eminent persons for the top post and referred to the appointment of Vice President Hamid Ansari as the university Vice Chancellor from 2000-02.

However, notwithstanding Ramachandran argument, the apex court shot back questioning whether a singer, a sportsman, a musician can be selected as the vice-chancellor?

The apex court was hearing a plea challenging the appointment of AMU Vice Chancellor Lt. Gen. Shah (retired), brother of noted actor Naseeruddin Shah.

The hearing, however, was deferred in the absence of petitioner Syed Abrar Ahmed's counsel Prashant Bhushan, who had challenged the "arbitrary" practice to select the V-C. The bench had adjourned the hearing to December 6.