New Delhi: The recent appointment of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Vice-Chancellor (V-C) Naima Khatoon’s son Ali Faran Gulrez as an assistant professor in the university’s Department of Law has come under scrutiny over alleged violations of the Ministry of Education’s guidelines on the appointment of a V-C’s close relative.
The Union Education Ministry has also received grievances from alumni challenging the appointment and sought a response from the university, ThePrint has learnt.
Gulrez has been appointed assistant professor under Dr B. R. Ambedkar Chair, an academic position focused on teaching and research on Ambedkar’s life and ideas, as well as issues of social justice, equality and empowerment of marginalised communities. His appointment is for five years or until the Chair ceases to exist, whichever is earlier.
The appointment was communicated through a 16 July letter, a copy of which ThePrint has seen. The General Selection Committee meeting for the appointment was held on 24 June.
A section of faculty at AMU alleged that the 2018 guidelines formed by the education ministry, formerly known as the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), specifically deals with recruitment involving the close relative of a V-C or other head of an institution. The guidelines were shared with all central universities and institutions by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on 1 February 2019.
The guidelines state that where such a relative applies for a post, the head of the institution should declare the relationship in advance and recuse themselves from the recruitment process.
The guidelines, however, do not treat recusal alone as sufficient safeguard. They recognise that the position held by the head of an institution could potentially influence the selection process even when the office-holder has recused themselves.
To address this concern, they provide that the institution should inform the ministry in advance and that two additional experts would be provided by the ministry to the selection committee in such cases.
Responding to ThePrint, the V-C’s office, in a statement, said that the post in question is “not governed by the UGC regulations” and that the education ministry has “no role to play” in the selection for the post. It said the appointment is instead governed by a memorandum of understanding signed between the Dr Ambedkar Foundation under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Aligarh Muslim University.
The Dr Ambedkar Chairs are established by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in universities and institutions under ‘The Scheme for Creating Dr Ambedkar Chairs’, with the Dr Ambedkar Foundation, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, administering the scheme.
However, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s 2021-22 guidelines for the scheme for establishing Dr Ambedkar Chairs specifically state that the Assistant Professor under the Chair ‘shall be recruited and appointed by following the same procedure applicable for recruitment to the post of Assistant Professor as per UGC Regulations notified from time to time and as adopted by the concerned university/institute from time to time’.
A detailed questionnaire has been sent to the Ministry of Education seeking a response and this report will be updated if and when they respond.
A ministry source also confirmed that the university had not sought the appointment of additional external experts. “The ministry has received grievances regarding the appointment of the V-C’s son as faculty for which comments have been sought from the university,” the source said.
ThePrint has also reached out to Gulrez through mail for a comment. His response is awaited.
Questions over the recruitment
A section of AMU faculty members and alumni have alleged that the university did not inform the ministry in advance that Vice-Chancellor Naima Khatoon’s son was a candidate and, consequently, the two additional experts provided for under the 2018 MHRD directions were not nominated by the ministry.
The university, in its response to ThePrint, however, said there was “no requirement under its rules or the MoU to inform the Ministry of Education regarding the nomination of experts”. It said the two individuals were nominated by the Dr Ambedkar Foundation under Clause 6 of the MoU and participated in the 24 June selection meeting.
A representation submitted by former AMU law student Syed Kaif Hasan on 15 July, a day before the appointment letter was issued, also flagged alleged irregularities in the recruitment.
Addressed to the President of India, the Ministry of Education, the UGC and AMU, the representation, citing an RTI response seen by ThePrint, questioned the Vice-Chancellor’s role in approving the advertisement and alleged that the process did not involve any prior information to the Ministry of Education and the UGC and sought an independent inquiry.
In his representation, he also alleged that the V-C approved the advertisement for the post, raising questions over the need for “recusal”.
However, in its response to ThePrint, the university said the Vice-Chancellor “has no role in this selection committee” and had recused herself from the recruitment process.
The university said Khatoon had formally informed the Registrar of her recusal, that no file related to the recruitment was placed before her and that she was on leave on the day of the selection committee meeting.
Questions over appointment of selection committee
Several faculty members have also raised the authority under which the selection committee for the post was constituted.
Under AMU’s statutes, the process for selecting experts for such committees involves the Board of Studies, Academic Council and Executive Council (EC). However, it is the EC that finally nominates two external experts for the committee.
The university, meanwhile, stated in a response to ThePrint, “The Pro-Vice Chancellor constituted and approved the selection committee as per Statute 27 of the statutes of the university,” while the appointment was subsequently reported to the EC. The Pro-VC also chaired the committee, the university said.
While the university claimed in its response that two external experts had been nominated by the EC, faculty members questioned how the experts on the selection committee for the post of assistant professor advertised in February could have been nominated when no EC meeting had taken place this year.
“Section 19(3) of the AMU Act, which deals with emergent decisions on behalf of statutory bodies, gives the power only to the V-C to take decisions on their behalf. If the V-C had not selected the external experts, who did so? Under no circumstances does the PVC have such power. In this case, only the Executive Council should have done that,” said another faculty member.
They have also questioned whether the Pro-Vice-Chancellor had previously exercised such powers in similar recruitment matters and, if so, under which statutory provision.
ThePrint has sought the university’s response to these questions, which is awaited.
Khatoon’s appointment as AMU Vice-Chancellor in April 2024 had also faced legal challenges, with petitioners questioning the role of her husband, Prof Mohd Gulrez, in the process that recommended her name.
The Allahabad High Court dismissed the petitions in May 2025, holding that his participation did not invalidate her appointment; the Supreme Court later declined to interfere with the high court’s order.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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