New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has issued notice on a plea challenging the appointment of Dr. Shahid Akhter, who was appointed as a Professor at the Centre for Management Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia in the year 2019, as one of the members of National Commission For Minority Educational Institutions.
Justice V Kameswar Rao sought the response of the Union Government, Jamia Millia Islamia, National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions and Dr. Shahid Akhter while granting six weeks time for filing counter affidavit in the matter. Further two weeks' time has been granted for filing a rejoinder.
The petition has been filed by one Zarmina Israr Khan, a Ph.D. scholar in African Studies, at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. The plea states that the appointment of Dr. Shahid Akhter as Member of the said Commission was not an informed process as no notification or advertisement for the post was issued by the Ministry of Education, which is in violation of Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India.
The plea states that an appointment that is made without the issuance of an advertisement or notification suffers from lack of transparency and objectivity and, hence, becomes ultra vires Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution.
