MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and Maharashtra government, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and other authorities on a petition challenging the reappointment of Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, vice-chancellor Aniruddha B Pandit for a second five-year term.
Pandit was reappointed for a second five-year term after his first tenure ended in November 2024. The UGC regulations for deemed-to-be universities issued in 2023 require a vice-chancellor to be appointed by the chancellor from a panel of three names recommended by a search-cum-selection committee, according to the petition. Thorat has contended that this procedure was not followed and that Pandit was above 66 years of age when the reappointment was made.
The audit findings cited in the petition also concern construction work at ICT’s Jalna campus. Thorat has alleged that there was no formal agreement with the contractor and that offline tenders were used despite government instructions requiring e-tendering.
