The Bombay High Court has strongly criticised Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan’s Mumbadevi Adarsh Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Girgaon, for keeping an assistant professor on probation for nearly seven years, in violation of University Grants Commission (UGC) norms and the college’s own appointment terms.
Assistant Professor Reshu Singh, who joined the college on April 20, 2018, was supposed to be confirmed by April 2020 after completing the stipulated two-year probation period. However, despite numerous follow-ups and written reminders between 2021 and 2023, the college failed to issue her confirmation letter.
In a stern judgment delivered on May 6, a division bench comprising Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Ashwin Bhobe directed the institution to issue Singh’s confirmation letter with effect from June 20, 2020. The court further ordered that Singh be granted five salary increments and all due promotions as per her entitlement.
Describing the conduct of the college as “shocking to judicial conscience” and “nothing short of exploitation,” the court observed that the delay starkly contrasted with the values of fairness and dignity espoused by Mahatma Gandhi, in whose name the institution claims its legacy.
“Teachers cannot be treated in this manner,” the bench remarked. “This college was founded with the blessings of Mahatma Gandhi. If it is to truly follow his ideals, then its employees must be treated fairly and with dignity.”
The college management had cited pending approval from the Central Sanskrit University (CSU) as the reason for the delay. However, the court noted that the central government had clarified the college’s independent authority to confirm Singh’s appointment.
Singh’s counsel highlighted that under UGC regulations, probation cannot exceed two years. Singh had been kept in professional uncertainty for 6 years and 10 months, in clear violation of these norms.
