Cancel deputy registrar appointment: MUCTA

The Asian Age: Mumbai: Tuesday, 11 November 2014.

The Mumbai University and College Teachers’ Association (MUCTA) has written to the Joint Director of Higher Education, demanding cancellation of the appointment of a deputy registrar in Mumbai University on the grounds that the person was appointed despite being over the required age limit.

The MUCTA said their demand was based on information received under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and there were many more such appointments that they would be challenging after receiving replies to the RTIs filed by them.

Commenting on the appointment, MUCTA secretary Subhash Athavle said that they had come to know, based on RTI, that the appointment was inconsistent with two norms.

“Firstly, the advertisement for the post stipulated that the age limit was 38 years, but based on the appointment letter, it was evident that the appointee was 41 years old at the time of appointment. Secondly, the RTI also revealed that the appointee did not have an approval from either the MU or any other university, thus the incumbent was not eligible. Based on these two facts, we have asked the joint director of higher and technical education, Dr Manjusha Molwane, to cancel the appointment,” said Mr Athavle. He further alleged that the university was equally responsible for the appointment and the guilty should be pulled up.

On her part, Dr Molwane refused to comment on the issue saying that the MUCTA had not met her.

Dr Naresh Chandra, pro vice-chancellor, Mumbai University, said that if there was any inconsistency in the appointment, the University would look into it. “Appointments to various posts are made through the selection committee that ensures that the candidates fulfil all the norms and criteria laid down in the Maharashtra Universities Act. In this case, we will have to refer to the appointment and see if any of the norms have been flouted,” said Dr Chandra.

Mr Athavle said that this wasn’t the only appointment not in keeping with norms and that they would challenge other appointments too.