The order came when he has only six more months to complete the term.

Dr Babu Sebastian's appointment as Mahatma Gandhi University’s Vice-Chancellor was cancelled by the Kerala High Court on Monday Four years after the appointment on grounds of inadequate qualifications, and formation of a search committee against rules to find a suitable candidate for the post.

On a plea of T.R. Premkumarhe , High Court order found violation of norms and rules in the appointment of Sebastian as head of the Kottayam-based varsity.

The petitioner said that even though two other candidates had all prescribed University Grants Commission (UGC) qualifications and Sebastian did not, still he was selected to the top post.

The petitioner also said that a search committee constituted to select the new V-C in 2014 was in violation of the UGC norms.

The petition highlighted that UGC guidelines are very clear that no one from either the varsity Senate or Syndicate should be included in the search committee.

The then Congress legislator, who was a member of these bodies, was made a member of the search committee.

VC Sebastian’s links with a top politician in the then Congress-led United Democratic Front government was known to all and his selection was looked upon as a foregone conclusion.

On being asked VC Sebastian told the media after the High Court verdict that he did not have a copy of the judgment.

He pointed that he will seek legal advice on what needs to be done as the order comes when he only six more months to complete the term.

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