HC issues notices over V-C appointment of RAJUVAS

Jaipur: A single judge bench of Rajasthan high court issued notices to the chancellor of state universities, an ex-officio position held by governor Haribhau Bagde, along with the registrar of Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (RAJUVAS), the state govt, and the vice-chancellor, in connection with a petition challenging the appointment of the university's vice-chancellor.The order was passed Thursday by a single-judge bench of Justice Anand Sharma while hearing a petition filed by Dr R K Bagherwal. The plea questions the appointment of Dr Sumant Vyas as vice-chancellor of RAJUVAS, Bikaner. Vyas was appointed by the governor on Sept 4, 2025.
During the preliminary hearing, the court sought detailed responses from the concerned authorities regarding the procedure adopted for the selection and whether it complied with applicable statutory provisions and regulatory norms. According to the petitioner, the chancellor constituted a search committee on April 23, 2025, to recommend suitable candidates for the post. An advertisement inviting applications was issued on May 3, 2025, following which Vyas was appointed in Sept. The petition alleges that the constitution of the search committee violated norms. Counsel for the petitioner, Dinesh Yadav, argued that under the guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC), no person directly associated with the university concerned should be part of the search committee to ensure fairness and transparency. However, the plea states that Tribhuvan Sharma, who was appointed as chairperson of the search committee, earlier served as professor and head of the department of animal nutrition at RAJUVAS, allegedly breaching UGC norms due to his prior association. The petitioner also contended that the eligibility criteria mandate a minimum of 10 years of academic or teaching experience for appointment as vice-chancellor, alleging that Vyas does not fulfil this requirement. Taking note of the submissions, the court termed the matter significant at the preliminary stage and directed the respondents to file their replies. Vyas previously served at the National Research Centre on Camel and as director of the Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur.