University in Gujarat reverses decision after appointing chemistry professor as English HoD

Ahmedabad: After facing heat over the appointment of a chemistry professor as the head of the English department and attracting litigations in the Gujarat High Court, a public university in Patan district has reversed its decision, agreeing to appoint the right subject in-charge to the post. Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University on Friday informed the court of Justice Nirzar Desai that it has reconsidered the entire controversy and is ready to appoint a person from the same branch and subject as the in-charge head of the English department.

The university courted controversy and a series of litigations after it appointed Kokilaben Parmar, a Chemistry professor, as the in-charge HoD of the English department following the retirement of former HoD Adesh Pal. The appointment was challenged by another English professor, Hetal Patel, in the Education Tribunal.

The university defended its decision in the tribunal, citing that the seniority of the members in the English department was yet to be ascertained, and the in-charge HoD was only tasked with the administrative affairs of the department. However, the tribunal, in an interim order dated October 10, 2025, stayed the university's decision and refrained Parmar from working in the English department. Parmar challenged the tribunal's order in the high court, stating that she was not heard as an affected party.

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Considering her plea, the high court, in its order dated October 16, stayed the tribunal's ad-interim relief and restored the university's July order regarding Parmar's appointment. The university on Friday submitted that it was ready and willing to appoint a person from the same branch and subject as the in-charge HoD, and the court then allowed the decision after vacating its interim stay on the tribunal's order.

The court stated that with the petition withdrawn, the university is free to appoint the HoD in the same branch and subject. It held that since the petitions filed by the university and private parties had been withdrawn, the cause of action in respect of the original application pending before the tribunal does not survive.

The court stated that if Patel, who had challenged the university's order, was aggrieved by any further appointment that the institution sought to make, she could challenge it before the appropriate authority in accordance with the law.