AMRAPALI Vs. PANJABRAO DESHMUKH KRISHI VIDYAPEETH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Since common challenges are raised in all these writ petitions, they are heard together by issuing RULE and making it returnable forthwith.

(2.) Each petitioner is aggrieved by the orders of promotion issued thereby promoting Assistant Professors to the post of Associate Professors by Dr.Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola (for short,'the University'). In Writ Petition No.2444 of 2019, the respondent nos.2 to 5 have been promoted on the post of Associate Professor in the subject of Agricultural Botany. In Writ Petition No.2471 of 2019, the respondent nos.4 to 10 have been promoted on the post of Associate Professor in the subject of Agronomy and in Writ Petition No.2806 of 2019, the respondent nos.2 and 3 have been promoted on the post of Associate Professor in the subject of Agricultural Economics.

(3.) On 16.11.2017, the University issued a notification inviting proposals from eligible candidates for effecting promotions to the post of Associate Professor. That notification referred to an earlier letter issued by the University dated 17.10.2017. In the notification it was stated that the last date for submission of proposals was 06.11.2017. By the said notification, the Scrutiny and Assessment Committee for considering the respective candidatures for promotion was constituted. On 18.01.2018, the Registrar of the University issued a communication to all the concerned Assistant Professors that on scrutiny of the said proposals the Committee had found that majority of the proposals did not provide evidence to establish eligibility as per the Maharashtra Agricultural Universities Statutes, 1990 (for short,'the Statute') and especially Statute 73. The candidates were thus requested to submit relevant documents to establish their eligibility by 20.01.2018. In the meanwhile, on 25.01.2018 in view of the fact that the process of promotion was underway, the Vice Chancellor of the University issued orders of temporary promotion thereby promoting various Assistant Professors to the post of Associate Professor on ad-hoc basis for a period of eleven months. Thereafter on 21.12.2018 this period of eleven months was further extended for a period of one month under the emergency powers of the Vice Chancellor. The extended period was till 24.01.2019.