Supreme Court Overturns Assistant Professors and Librarians Appointments in Punjab Amid Arbitrariness

The Supreme Court nullified the appointment of 1,158 assistant professors and librarians in Punjab, citing complete arbitrariness in the selection process. Initiated in 2021, the recruitment faced legal challenges due to alleged irregularities. The Court criticized reliance on objective-type exams and exclusion of viva-voce in selecting candidates.

The Supreme Court has invalidated the appointments of 1,158 assistant professors and librarians in Punjab, highlighting the arbitrary nature of the selection procedure.

Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K Vinod Chandran's bench overturned the Punjab and Haryana High Court's decision from September 2024, which had supported the appointments.

The Court pointed out the errors in replacing a proven recruitment process with a flawed one, lacking quality assessment, and criticized the exclusion of viva-voce, which affected candidates' proper evaluation.

(With inputs from agencies.)