Gaya: A non-teacher and a retired principal figure in the panel released by Magadh University on Wednesday evening for appointment of principal, leading to speculation it will meet the fate of two earlier panels, which were dissolved.

The posts were advertised in 2008. Curator A.Q. Ansari (non-teacher) and retired principal Raj Kumar Majumdar are on the 22-name third panel. Patna High Court had twice quashed appointments made in the past for the same advertisement. The apex court upheld the quashing on both occasions.

As per the apex court order dated August 21, the university will have to wait till September 30 and appointments will be made only if the panel is not challenged in court by then. In case the panel is challenged a third time, the Patna High Court chief justice will refer the matter to a division bench, which will take a final call.

But like the previous two panels, the third panel, too, is likely to be challenged. Legal experts say there was enough ground to challenge the panel.

Ansari, who figures in the list of EBC candidates, is a curator at the university's Ancient Indian and Asian Studies department, which recently made headlines after the Higher Education Commission of Thailand rejected its PhD degrees over quality.

According to Shiv Jatan Thakur, an expert on university laws, under UGC rules, only assistant professors, associate professors and professors are to be put in the category of teachers and all other university employees are to be treated as non-teachers. Ten years of teaching experience is required for being considered for the post of principal.

Majumdar, who figures in the panel, retired a year ago. Of the 22 nominees, six belong to general category. Among the 16 reserved category nominees, seven belong to EBC and seven to SC category. Two OBC candidates are also there.

Asked about apparent anomaly in the panel with a non-teacher and retired principal figuring on it, vice-chancellor Prof Qamar Ahsan washed his hands of the issue, saying he had nothing to do with the panel constituted in 2015. He joined as VC in March 2017. The panel was released at the direction of the apex court. "We will wait till September 30 and proceed as per the SC directive," Ahsan said.