HRD ministry can go ahead with selection of faculty to IITs: HC

The Madras High Court today said the HRD Ministry can go ahead with the process of selection of faculty to IITs, but made it clear that it would be subject to the result of a writ appeal filed before it in the above connection.

The appeal challenged a single judge's order upholding the appointment of Bhaskar Ramamurthi as the director of Indian Institutes of Technology, Madras.

In its interim order, a division bench, comprising Justices Huluvadi G Ramesh and M Dhandapani, said the secretary, higher education, HRD Ministry can go ahead with the process of selection of faculty to IITs following the roster and reservation policy.

"The same is subject to the result of the writ appeal. If there is any violation in the process of selection without adhering to the principles of reservation violating Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution, it would attract serious penal consequences," the bench said.

The matter relates to the appointment of Dr Bhaskar Ramamurthi as the director of IIT Madras.

Dr E Muralidharan challenged the appointment but Justice M Sathyanarayanan upheld it in June last year following which he filed the present appeal.

He alleged that the appointment was in violation of rules and the Constitution of India and sought setting aside of the single judge's order.

Muralidharan also filed a miscellaneous plea seeking grant of stay on faculty interviews "hurriedly" conducted and appointments made by Ramamurthi "without proper roster based advertisements and in violation of reservation policies of the SC, ST & OBC ..."
He sought a direction to the CBI to investigate the faulty "recruitment scam."