Supreme Court Questions AMU VC Selection Process Amid Concerns

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court raised questions on Monday regarding the selection process of Naima Khatoon as the vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), criticizing the involvement of her husband, Mohd Gulrez, who was the officiating vice-chancellor.

Justices Bhushan R. Gavai, K. Vinod Chandran, and N.V. Anjaria expressed concerns, stating that Gulrez’s participation in the process was inappropriate given that his wife was a candidate. The Chief Justice remarked, “Certainly, the husband’s participation in the selection process is not proper when his wife is a candidate. He should have recused himself and made his deputy participate in it. The selection process should not only be fair but also appear to be fair.”

This discussion arose during appeals against a judgment by the Allahabad High Court, which disapproved of Gulrez’s involvement but ultimately upheld Khatoon’s appointment as vice-chancellor by the President of India, who is the visitor of the university.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioners, argued that the voting in the executive council was manipulated to ensure Khatoon’s inclusion among five finalist candidates. Other candidates included Faizan Mustafa, Qayyum Husain, Muzaffar Uruj Rabbani, and Furqan Qamar.

In the voting process, Rabbani received 61 votes, Mustafa garnered 50 votes, and Khatoon also acquired 50 votes. These names were presented to the President, who ultimately selected Khatoon as vice-chancellor in April last year.

Despite the court’s critical remarks, the hearing was adjourned due to Justice Chandran’s recusal from the case, citing his prior recommendation of a different candidate for a different university. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta contended that Justice Chandran’s recusal was unnecessary as the parties retained confidence in him.

Mehta further stated that Gulrez’s participation did not compromise the integrity of Khatoon’s appointment, while additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati argued that the selection process adhered to the established rules, which had been validated by the high court.

Kapil Sibal maintained that he recognized the President’s choice but suggested that if allegations of manipulation were validated, Khatoon’s name would not have made it to the final list of candidates presented to the AMU Court.