Challenge Against Selection Process Of DU Assistant Professors; Delhi HC Asks DU To File Response

In a Letters Patent Appeal filed before the division bench of Delhi High Court against an order of the single judge, regarding the selection process of Assistant Professors in Delhi University, the court has issued notice to the University and asked to file it's response.

Justice Valmiki Mehta had earlier dismissed the writ petition filed by Kanika Sanwal, an aspirant for the post, who challenged the selection process for recruitment to the post of assistant professor by the Delhi University, which gives weightage to the teaching experience of a candidate vis-a-vis a candidate having professional experience as an advocate.

“Merely being a successful advocate and having a good practice as an advocate will not mean that such a person should be equated to a person who has teaching experience,” the court had observed while dismissing her plea.

The petitioner in the appeal contended the guidelines being violative of Article 14 of the Constitution and contrary to Doctrine of Reasonable Classification, as they differentiate between candidates working as lawyer having practical knowledge and those having teaching experience.

The petitioner raised objection that the guidelines that gave advantage to people having teaching experience against persons having professional experience as a lawyer were against the principle of intelligible differentia, as the guidelines place a lawyer who has five-year practice in a court below candidates with just one month of teaching experience.

Read the petition here.