Chandigarh, Nov 11: In a strong rebuke to Panjab University’s practice of keeping teachers on contract for over a decade, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the regularisation of Assistant Professors appointed in 2012 through due process.
Justice Jagmohan Bansal ruled that the petitioners, all qualified and appointed against sanctioned posts, could not be denied regular status merely because their initial appointment was contractual. “They are fully qualified and working with the University since 2012 without any protection of any Court. They were selected against sanctioned posts,” the Bench said while passing the order.
The court gave the university six weeks to issue regularisation orders. “If no order is passed within this period, they shall be deemed regularised and entitled to seniority and regular pay from the date of expiry of six weeks,” Justice Bansal stated.
The judge expressed disapproval of the growing practice of contractual appointments in public service, particularly in education. “Governments and public institutions have started making appointments on contract/ad-hoc/temporary/part-time basis in every department including education which is a character and nation building department,” he noted, observing that some teachers earn less than peons despite doing professional work.
He further commented that “public funds are being siphoned off for subsidies instead of appointing regular employees and paying regular pay scale,” stressing that the State, as a model employer, “neither can exploit its citizen nor take advantage of mass unemployment.”
Justice Bansal said the university’s counsel failed to cite any precedent denying regularisation where appointments were made properly. “Despite repeated questioning, no such judgment was shown,” he remarked. The petitioners were represented by advocate Sarthak Gupta.
Going into the background, the Bench recorded that the teachers were selected through advertisement, interviews, and after meeting all UGC qualifications. “There was no illegality in their appointment,” the order said, adding that the university lacked any policy for regularisation of long-serving contractual employees.
The court also directed Panjab University to examine similar cases of teachers serving on contracts for over a decade. “To avoid further litigation, the respondent may consider such claims in light of this judgment,” it added, while clarifying that other vacant posts may still be filled through regular recruitment.
