Patna, April 18: Patna High Court today reserved its judgment on a petition challenging the appointment of vice-chancellors of Magadh University (MU), Bodhgaya, and Veer Kuer Singh University (VKSU), Ara, after hearing both the parties at length.

Pramod Kumar Singh, a teacher of SP Jain College of Ara, has challenged the appointments alleging that the selection of Arvind Kumar and Subhash Prasad Sinha as VCs of MU and VKSU respectively was made in flagrant violation of the provisions of Bihar State University Act 1976 that says that the chancellor should make appointments in consultation with the state government.

A bench of Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi, on April 11, had asked the chancellor’s office to furnish all records on an affidavit related to consultation of the chancellor office with the state government in the appointments of VCs.

Contradicting the petitioner’s contention that the chancellor did not consult with the government on the issue, Y.V. Giri counsel for Arvind Kumar and also the chancellor, submitted that the said notification states that the chancellor had consulted the state government in terms of Section 10 (2) of the Bihar State University Act, 1976.

However, additional-advocate general (AAG) Lalit Kishore submitted that the chancellor did not hold any consultation with the state government before making appointment of the VCs, whereas the chancellor maintained he had consulted with the government. So, keeping in mind the dignity of the post of governor, who is also the chancellor of universities, the state has decided to put an end to the issue and accepted the appointment of the vice-chancellor, Kishore added.

To buttress his point, the AAG showed the file noting to the court, where the chief minister had written not to go ahead with the matter anymore, as it involved the high dignity of office of the chancellor despite that no consultation was done by the chancellor in the appointment of VCs.

However, the petitioner alleged that the chancellor should make appointments in consultation with the state government but in this case, the chancellor did not consult with the government on the issue of appointment.

Pramod Kumar Singh submitted that MU VC Arvind Kumar did not have an unblemished record as allegations of financial embezzlement were levelled at him when he was the VC of Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribagh.

Similarly, Sinha did not have the requisite qualification to be appointed VC as he does not have a single contribution published in his name in any standard books and research papers, he contended.

During hearing, the court had expressed its reservations in a manner in which the chancellor tried to create an evidence of consultation. “Efforts have been made at the highest level (chancellor’s office) to create evidence of consultation for the appointment of VCs,” the court observed.