The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Central Government, Jamia Millia Islamia University, and other stakeholders following allegations of procedural violations in the appointment of Professor Mazhar Asif as the Vice Chancellor of the university.
The plea, challenging the appointment, cites multiple concerns including the unlawful constitution of the Search Committee and the improper nomination of its Chairman. It specifically points to alleged interference by the Union Ministry of Education, accusing it of influencing the selection process by recommending the Chairman from two nominees provided by the Ministry. This, the petitioner argues, contravened statutory procedures and Supreme Court principles regarding university appointments.
During the court proceedings, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing the university, along with Monika Arora, Central Government Standing Counsel, questioned the maintainability of the writ petition. Their arguments focused on the petitioner’s locus standi and the limits of a writ of quo warranto. They also scrutinized the “Summary Notes” annexed to the petition, which were submissions to the President of India, querying the method by which these documents were obtained and their authenticity.
Arora further invoked Article 74(2) of the Constitution, which shields the advice given by ministers to the President from judicial scrutiny, suggesting that the court could not review these proceedings.
Countering these points, Dr. Amit George, counsel for the petitioner, maintained that judicial precedents allow any citizen to challenge such appointments without stringent locus standi requirements. He also clarified that the documents in question were publicly available on a news website.
Justice Prateek Jalan, presiding over the case, acknowledged the arguments and scheduled the next hearing for July 16, 2025. The court also directed that four members of the Executive Council be added as respondents in the case.
