Patna University teachers, who have been denied promotion for years, are planning to approach the court for clarification that on what ground did the administration deny them and passed the elevation of others.

Outgoing vice-chancellor Y.C. Simhadri on Monday approved the promotion of 33 teachers. Simhadri's term ended on Tuesday.

"The teachers who have been denied promotion are first planning to seek the criteria behind the promotion of the teachers from the university administration under Right to Information," said Patna College sociology teacher Randhir Kumar Singh. "Based on the information they get, the teachers who feel they should have been promoted will approach the court."

Lawyers also claimed that if provisions under the Patna University Act 1976 had not been followed in Monday's decision, it can be challenged. Patna High Court lawyer Saket Tiwary said: "Promotions in Patna University is given under the Patna University Act 1976, but if any teacher feels that provisions were not followed they can challenge it in court."

Sociology teacher Randhir is among the faculty members who have been waiting to be promoted for years, but his case was not taken up in Monday's syndicate meeting.

Promotion was due for around 140 teachers in 18 subjects, sources said, but the syndicate - the university's highest decision-making body - only elevated 33 teachers from seven subjects.

Randhir, an associate professor, was waiting for promotion in senior scale to the rank of professor but was denied. He will retire in 2020.

A Patna Women's College political science teacher said: "I was expecting to be promoted from reader to professor rank, and the university's selection committee cleared it but I was not granted promotion at the last hour because the vice-chancellor did not approve it."

The teachers promoted, however, might face legal hurdles, as the date from which their elevation would come into effect has not been mentioned. The necessary quorum to pass the promotion was also not followed in the syndicate.

Varsity bosses in charge

The Raj Bhavan on Tuesday appointed senior teachers in eight universities, whose vice-chancellors have completed their terms, as in charge of the respective administrations.

Sudhir Kumar Srivastava has been picked for Patna University, Ravindra Kumar Verma 'Ravi' for the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University, Kusum Kumari for Magadh University, Raj Kishore Jha for LN Mithila University (Darbhanga), Kshmendra Kumar Singh for the Tilka Manjhi Bhaglapur University, Vidhyadhar Mishra for KSD Sanskrit University (Darbhanga), Ramesh Chandra Singh for the Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University and Sashikant Jha for Nalanda Open University.