HC removes Uttarakhand Ayurveda University VC on misrepresentation of age

Nainital: The Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Dehradun-based Uttarakhand Ayurveda University, Mr.Yogesh Kumar Pacholia, has been removed from his chair by an order of the Uttarakhand High Court. A single bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, issued the order based on a petition filed by Neeraj Kumar Dhulia, a Pauri district resident. Mr. Mishra, in order to be eligible for the Vice Chancellor’s post had misrepresented his date of birth alleged Kumar in his petition.

Mr. Neeraj Kumar in his filed petition further stated that Mr. Mishra, who was born in 1949, had wrongly stated it to be a 1951 birth, in order to, succeed in getting a reappointment, after having completed a tenure as Vice Chancellor, Uttrakhand University. The maximum age for applying for the post was 65 years, and in order to overcome this limitation, Mr. Pancholia made a false statement.

According to Pradeep Hariya, advocate of petitioner Dhulia, the latter had been pushed into moving court when officials like the university’s Chancellor and Chief Minister, Harish Rawat turned a deaf ear to the complaint; but “since there was no action, we were forced to approach the court” he stated.

Mr.Yogesh Kumar Pacholia, has been the head, and first chancellor of Uttrakhand Ayurveda University, since January 2011. The University was established in 2009, as the first government ayurveda university in the state.With two campuses in Haridwar, it is also affiliated to Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurvedic College and Hospital. It also has a number of colleges affiliated to it.

Mishra who took over as the first VC was considered for a reappointment for the position in 2015, after having completed a five year tenure, in the same capacity. Though reappointed in the same capacity all over again, Mishra alleged that Chancellor Pancholia had used unfair means to get selected. He was not eligible for the position, as he had misrepresented his age, he further added in the PIL.

According to Neeraj Kumar, he had discovered the truth about the VC's age, when an RTI inquiry submitted by him revealed that in a bio data submitted to the institution, on an earlier occasion, he had himself mentioned his date of birth to be July, 14, 1949. Mr. Kumar’s PIL alleged that in the course of re appointment, the year of birth was changed to 1951.

“According to the information provided through RTI, Mishra’s age was more than 65 years on January 7, 2015 which was the date of his appointment as the Vice-Chancellor. This was in violation of the provisions of the Uttarakhand Ayurved University Act 2009 which stipulates that the vice-chancellor should not be more than 65 years of age,” said Pacholia.

Hariya admitted that his client had submitted his resignation to the governor KK Paul, though it had not been accepted.

“The court has disposed off the petition today and announced its judgment, so there is nothing else to be said in the matter,” he said.