The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed Chaudhary Devi Lal University (CDLU) in Sirsa to resolve the regularisation plea of a contractual assistant professor within three months. Justice Harpreet Singh Brar issued the order on Monday while disposing of a writ petition filed by Dr Rakesh Kumar, who has been serving as a contractual Assistant Professor (Law) at the university since January 14, 2016.
Petitioner's Claims and Qualifications
Dr Rakesh Kumar sought regularisation of his services from the date of his appointment, along with consequential benefits including seniority, pay fixation, and salary arrears. He asserted that he was appointed through an open selection process and holds all UGC-prescribed qualifications, including an LLM, UGC-NET, and a PhD. He has been performing teaching, examination, and administrative duties similar to those of regular Assistant Professors for over ten years.
The petition highlighted that despite submitting several representations and a legal notice, the university had failed to take any decision on his regularisation request.
Court Proceedings and Direction
During the hearing, the petitioner's counsel confined the prayer to seeking a direction for the disposal of the pending legal notice. The Haryana Government raised no objection to this request. The High Court then directed the competent authority of CDLU to consider the legal notice, grant the petitioner an opportunity to be heard, and pass a reasoned order within three months of receiving a certified copy of the judgment.
The court emphasised that the decision should be taken in light of Supreme Court rulings on the regularisation of long-serving contractual employees. It added that if the petitioner is found entitled to the relief claimed, the university should grant the benefit without any further delay.
