Gaya, Oct. 12: Forty-four candidates today appeared before a seven-member committee of Magadh University for the interview to the posts of principals of 22 constituent colleges.

The interview, which started at the directorate of distance education building at Magadh University, Bodhgaya, yesterday, was facilitated after a single bench of Patna High Court quashed the appointments of 27 principals in January this year.

Arun Kumar Sinha, the acting vice-chancellor of Magadh University, is heading the seven-member committee. Sinha is the vice-chancellor of BN Mandal University. Other members include Gaya college principal Shreekant Sharma, Patna University professor of English Shivjatan Thakur (the nominee of the governor), a former vice-chancellor of Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University, Surendra Brahmachari, Raj Mukul, the regional deputy director, education, Magadh region (nominee of state government), Victor Tigga, former vice-chancellor of Sido Kanhu Murmu University, Dumka, Jharkhand, and R. Pandey, Nilamber Pitamber University, Daltonganj.

The interviews are scheduled to conclude on October 16 and the new principals are likely to be appointed by the end of October. In the wake of the Patna High Court order, the interview process is being shot on video.

A total of 251 candidates have applied for the post of principals to 22 constituent colleges of Magadh University. Today, 44 out of 69 candidates appeared before the committee, while 60 out of 65 candidates turned up for the interview yesterday, said Magadh University registrar D.K. Yadav.

Reservation norms are also being followed in the appointment of principals. Of the 22 posts, eight are reserved for candidates from the general category, seven for Extremely Backward Classes, six for Scheduled Caste and one for Scheduled Tribe.

Magadh University had invited applications in 2009 to fill up vacant posts of principals at 27 constituent colleges. A committee headed by then Magadh University vice-chancellor, Birendra Nath Pandey, had selected the candidates for the post but Vimal Prasad Singh, a teacher of political science under Magadh University and six others challenged the appointments. They filed a writ petition in Patna High Court on December 11, 2009, alleging irregularity.

However, a Patna High Court single bench of Justice Jaya Nandan Singh had quashed the appointment of the principals in a ruling passed in January this year. The single bench directed the state government and the university administration to go for fresh appointments by advertising vacancies. The court had also directed to record the interviews on video.

The selected principals filed an appeal in the division bench of Patna High Court against the order but it too upheld the ruling. A stay was ordered on the appointment of five principals.

According to the single bench ruling, 22 principals were to continue as acting principals for six months but would not be able to discharge administrative and financial duties without the prior approval of the university registrar.

The principals also knocked the Supreme Court’s door against the division bench ruling, but the apex court too rejected their plea for relief in May this year.