The Madras High Court bench here today set aside an order of the Alagappa University, which sought the Principal of the American College in Madurai M Davamani Christopher to surrender his PhD degree certificate.
Justice K Ravichandra Babu, allowing the petition filed by Devamani directed him to give a fresh representation to the Alagappa University (AU) and directed the institution to give an opportunity to him and consider it afresh based on merit.
The Judge made it clear that once the university issued its final order on the matter, Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) would get the view of UGC in writing about the degree obtained by Devamani and pass fresh order on the appointment of Devamani.
The Judge said the petitioner was entitled to continue as Principal subject to the outcome of the orders passed by the Alagappa University and the order passed by the MKU.
The AU had conferred PhD degree to Devamani in Education (interdisciplinary) in 2007. Later it passed a resolution directing him to surrender his PhD certificate and instead give him a fresh certificate in PhD in Education only.
Challenging it, he moved the High Court contending that on February 7, 2011, the college released an advertisement inviting applications for the post of Principal.
Devamani who applied for the post was appointed as Principal on October 28, 2011 as per the Governing Council’s procedure.
The MKU approved Davamani’s qualifications on June 29, this year following the order of the High Court bench, he contended in his petition.
He said his appointment was continuously challenged by an unsuccessful candidate S David Amirtha Rajan, Associate Professor in the same college.
Besides, Rajan, the American College Protection Committee made complaints to AU against Christopher stating that he had been wrongly issued with PhD in Education (interdisciplinary) instead of education only.
The issue was placed before the university’s Research Advisory Committee meeting on July 19 this year and the meeting had resolved to withdraw the PhD degree certificate issued to him in education (interdisciplinary) and in its place to issue a revised certificate in ‘education’.
Counsel for Devamani M Ajmalkhan, told the court the act of the University was gross a violation of natural justice.
–PTI