Kerala HC sets aside single bench order nullifying selection of Priya Varghese

Kochi: Kerala High Court on Thursday set aside the single bench verdict nullifying the rank list published for selection of associate professors at the Malayalam department of Kannur University, considering the appeal of Priya Varghese, the first rank holder.

The bench of Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Mohammed Nias CP accepted the argument of Priya that the single bench erred in deciding the eligibility criteria. The dispute was on whether deputation under the Faculty Development Programme can be considered as teaching/research experience for direct recruitment.

The single bench viewed that Priya Varghese did not have the relevant period of actual teaching experience as stipulated under the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations of 2018. Justice Devan Ramachandran stated that teaching during PhD cannot be considered an experience. The verdict came in a petition filed by Joseph Skariah, who obtained the second rank in the interview. It was also opined that the deputation of Priya Varghese as student director of the National Service Scheme cannot be considered teaching experience. Priya had claimed that the said period would amount to teaching experience in her application for the post.

Priya’s selection had created a huge furore in the state as she is the wife of former MP KK Ragesh, who is currently the private secretary to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

It was said that the single bench verdict would affect around 400 teachers from the state who have taken FDP to do PhDs.