‘VC cannot issue charge sheet to professor’: HC

Dehradun: A division bench of Uttarakhand high court (HC) comprising Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay has directed Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, to withdraw a charge sheet issued against a professor, holding that the vice-chancellor lacked the authority to initiate such action.The court was hearing a petition filed by Shivendra Kumar Kashyap, a professor of agricultural communication and coordinator of technology enabling centre at the university, who challenged the charge sheet dated Feb 5, 2026, and the ensuing departmental disciplinary proceedings. During the proceedings, counsel for the petitioner argued that under the Uttarakhand Govt Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2003, only the appointing authority is empowered to act as the disciplinary authority. Referring to Rule 7(2), the counsel submitted that the power to issue and sign a charge sheet rests exclusively with the appointing authority. The petitioner further contended that the impugned charge sheet had been issued by the chief personnel officer on behalf of the vice-chancellor, in violation of the prescribed rules. It was also argued that the vice-chancellor was not the appointing authority in this case, as that role is vested in the university's board of management.During the hearing, the university acknowledged that the board of management is the competent appointing authority and conceded that the appropriate authority had not issued the charge sheet in question. The university assured the court that the charge sheet would be withdrawn with immediate effect and that any future action would be taken strictly in accordance with the law. Recording the assurance, the high court disposed of the petition and ordered the immediate withdrawal of the charge sheet. The court also clarified that the petitioner would be at liberty to challenge any future charge sheet issued in accordance with the law.