ABDUR RAHIM Vs. OSMANIA UNIVERSITY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) A writ of Certiorari is sought to quash order dated 11-2-1998 passed by respondent No. 2 according sanction for reduction in the rank of the petitioner from professor to that of reader.

(2.) The petitioner was appointed as lecturer in the Department of Communication and Journalism in respondent No. 1-Osmania University (for short "the University") on 3-10-1972. He was promoted as reader on 13-1-1984 and as professor on 1-1-1993. The petitioner was Head of the Department of Communication & Journalism from Feb., 1993 to Aug., 1995.

(3.) Entrance test for admission into the course of Bachelor of Communication & Journalism (BCJ) was held on 24-6-1995. Apart from the course in English, 30 seats each were sanctioned for the two regional languages viz., Telugu and Urdu Journalism. The answer scripts, numbering 1347, were sent to the Department of Communication and Journalism headed by the petitioner. The petitioner, as Head of the Department, was entrusted with the responsibility to get the evaluation completed by a team of valuers. In connection with the said evaluation, adverse reports against the petitioner appeared in the newspapers. In the said reports, the petitioner was accused of tampering with the answer scripts of Urdu medium students by awarding higher marks to make sure that some of his favoured candidates secure seats in the BCJ course.