In a significant ruling, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has put an immediate stop to Sri Venkateswara University's (SVU) controversial recruitment drive for 'academic consultants' on a contract or outsourcing basis. The court, delivering a sharp critique, stated that educational institutions are being turned into "places for daily wage labourers" and vowed not to be a mute spectator to the collapse of the education system.
Court's Stern Rebuke on Temporary Recruitment
The order was passed on Friday by a division bench comprising Justices Battu Devanand and Hari Haranatha Sharma. The bench was hearing an appeal filed by K Kishore Kumar Reddy and two others, who had challenged a single judge's order that earlier declined to interfere in the matter. The petitioners contested the university's notification for recruiting academic consultants on a fixed monthly wage, arguing it violated reservation rules.
The bench posed a fundamental question: when specific rules exist to implement reservation in departmental recruitments, how can the process be conducted on a contract or outsourcing basis? The judges strongly observed that the government is exploiting jobless youth by offering mere honorariums instead of permanent employment.
Constitutional Right to Quality Education Underlined
Emphasizing the core issue, the court highlighted that quality education is a constitutional right of students. The bench pointed out that the post of 'academic consultant' does not exist in law and directed the state government to explain under which legal provisions it created such a position.
Despite Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas pleading not to halt the recruitment process, the high court did not accede to the request. The bench proceeded to stay the operation of the earlier single judge's orders, effectively freezing the controversial notification issued by SVU.
Implications and Next Steps
This ruling brings into sharp focus the growing trend of contractual appointments in the education sector, a practice the court has now heavily scrutinized. The stay order means Sri Venkateswara University cannot proceed with hiring academic consultants under the challenged model until the court hears the matter further. The state government is now compelled to provide a legal justification for the creation of the 'academic consultant' post, setting a potential precedent for similar recruitment drives in other state universities.
The court's strong language against the exploitation of youth and its firm stance on protecting the education system from being undermined by temporary staffing solutions marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate over job security and quality in higher education.
