ROHTAK: An assistant professor at the Mahendragarh based Central University Haryana (CUH) has been sacked on charges of submitting a PhD not in consonance with the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms.But his termination has raised eyebrows with the teachers association questioning the grounds on which the decision was taken. The association expressed surprise that the decision was taken almost three years after all the verification procedure was passed for confirming Manoj Kumar as an assistant professor.Kumar was an assistant professor in the department of English and foreign languages at CUH.The decision was taken by the executive council of the university on February 21 in which it stated that findings of Inquiry Committee found him not eligible for appointment to the post of Assistant Professor in the department as per the UGC Regulations 2010 at the time of selection; the council resolved that the services be terminated with immediate effect.Even one of the members of executive council and senior faculty Prof Bir Singh in the university had expressed dissent and over the university decision to terminate Manoj Kumar.Teacher's Association of Central University of Haryana in their press release said on condition of anonymity that the whole process of his termination involves gross abuse, misuse and manipulation of authority. Manoj Kumar has been terminated on the retrospective application of the 2009 UGC Regulation while his Ph.D. was awarded in the year of 2007. The retrospective application of the UGC Regulation is discriminatory and arbitrary thus ultra vires of the fundamental right to equality under the Article 14 of the Constitution and also incongruous to the principles of natural justice ".Speaking on the issue, Prof. R.C Kuhad, Vice-Chancellor of CUH said that one member committee of varsity conducted a four month long exercise to do an enquiry and gave enough time to Dr. Manoj Kumar to prove that his Ph.d degree comply with UGC norms. "In the end, final decision was taken as per UGC norms and regulations", he added. Terminated professor Manoj Kumar however refused to speak to media but said that he would take legal recourse to challenge his termination.

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