High Court Quashes Government Order Appointing Registrar for Mysore University Evaluation Department

Bengaluru: In a significant judicial decision, the High Court has annulled the government’s order appointing Dr. K.M. Basappa to the position of Registrar in the Mysore University Evaluation Department. This ruling comes on the heels of a petition filed by the previous appointee, Dr. K.M. Mahadevan, who contested the legitimacy of Basappa’s appointment.

The verdict was delivered by a division bench headed by Justice B. M. Shyam Prasad., considered the chancellor's opinion that Dr. Basappa lacked the necessary qualifications for the role. The court emphasized that the appointment and removal of university officers should not be treated as typical government employee appointments and that sudden, informal removals warrant judicial intervention.

Dr. Mahadevan was appointed as the Registrar of the Evaluation Department on March 3, 2023. However, on March 15, 2024, the government issued an order appointing Dr. Basappa, the head of the Chemistry Department at the same university, to the same post. This decision was made under the directive of the Chief Minister, raising questions about its timing, especially given the impending Lok Sabha Elections Code of Conduct.

The court concluded that the appointment did not serve any public or administrative interest. It highlighted that Basappa’s appointment was not justified, especially as it occurred just before the enforcement of the Lok Sabha Elections Code of Conduct. The bench further stated that the petitioner, Dr. Mahadevan, had been replaced without adequate reason and that such actions by the executive branch of the university are subject to judicial scrutiny.