MP HC upholds appointment of Vikram University vice chancellor

The Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court Thursday upheld the governor's four-month-old order appointing Balkrishna Sharma as vice chancellor of Ujjain-based Vikram University.

A division bench comprising Justices S C Sharma and Virender Singh upheld Sharma's appointment and disposed of an appeal filed by Shankar Lal Garg, a retired principal.

In his plea, Garg had sought that Sharma's appointment be annulled as it was "unlawful". Earlier, a single judge bench had dismissed Garg's writ petition.

The governor of a state also acts as chancellor of universities.

The chancellor (the governor) is the supreme authority when it comes to matters related to universities, the judges said.

"Under the Madhya Pradesh Universities Act, 1973, the supremacy of chancellor in dealing with affairs of a university cannot be questioned," the division bench noted.

"The chancellor did consult the state government by forwarding the names (of contenders for the post)," it observed.

The bench pointed out that the government had not given any negative feedback with respect to the names forwarded by the chancellor.

"The chancellor thereafter appointed the senior-most professor as vice chancellor," it said.

Garg had contended the chancellor appointed Sharma to the post by just issuing an order on March 13 and without consulting the government.

The petitioner had argued that Sharma's appointment was not in accordance with the Madhya Pradesh Universities Act, 1973.