Nainital, Mar 20 (PTI) The Uttarakhand High Court has held that the Vice-Chancellor of the Pantnagar-based Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology possesses no authority to issue a charge sheet against a professor.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay, while disposing of a petition filed in this regard by Professor Shivendra Kashyap, directed the university to immediately withdraw the disputed charge sheet.
Kashyap, a professor of Agricultural Communication, had moved the High Court seeking the quashing of a charge sheet dated February 5, 2026, and the consequent departmental disciplinary proceedings initiated against him.
Kashyap also serves as the Coordinator of the DST-TEC (Technology Enabling Centre).
Advocate Vipul Sharma, appearing for Kashyap in the court, said that as per the Uttarakhand Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2003, the appointing authority is also the disciplinary authority and hence the charge sheet must be issued and signed by the disciplinary authority only.
He said that in the present case, the charge sheet has been issued by the Chief Personnel Officer allegedly acting on behalf of the Vice Chancellor which is contrary to the statutory order.
He also argued that the petitioner was appointed by the Board of Management of the University and not by the Vice Chancellor and hence, the Vice Chancellor did not have the authority to issue a charge sheet.
While disposing of the petition, the High Court directed that the disputed charge sheet be withdrawn.
The court also clarified that if a new charge sheet is issued in the future, the petitioner will be free to challenge it in accordance with the law. PTI COR DPT NB NB NB
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