GAYA: The Patna high court on Friday cleared the decks for appointment of 13 new principals in Magadh University colleges against the vacancies notified in 2008. The bench of Chief Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi and Justice Anjana Mishra passed the order in the light of a recent Supreme Court directive on the issue.Appointments were made against those vacancies twice in the past and the panels were quashed by the court on both the occasions on account of irregularities, including favouritism and other malpractices. The third panel has also been challenged in the court.Counsel Navin Kumar Singh representing Achutanand Singh, one of the aspirants for the post, said the court would take a final call in the matter next month. “MU has been directed to appoint such persons who were eligible and did not face any vigilance case,” Singh said.The panel constituted in January 2015 was notified a couple of months ago. Two of the 22 panel members have already retired from service. Sources said six aspirants for the principal’s post aspirants have vigilance cases pending against them.The sources said one person is already working as principal in a Pataliputra University college. After excluding the names of tainted or ineligible claimants to the post, only 13 of the 22 aspirants have been cleared for appointment. One of the aspirants did not submit any certificate at the time of applying for the post.“Though the vacancies were advertised for undivided MU and the university has since been bifurcated, the appointments will be made only in colleges tagged with Magadh University,” Singh said.University sources said once these appointments are made, 18 of the 19 colleges of MU will have regular principals.

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