Prof. Mohammad Shakeel has been appointed as the officiating Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI). President Droupadi Murmu, who is a visitor of JMI, has approved this appointment under Statute 2(6) of the JMI Act, 1988, exercising her powers as conferred by the university’s Act and Statutes, according to an official notice.
On May 22, Jamia Millia Islamia appointed Mohammad Shakeel as its Officiating Vice-Chancellor. This decision came in the wake of the Delhi High Court’s ruling, which nullified the appointment of Eqbal Hussain. The court directed the university to appoint a new Officiating Vice-Chancellor within a week. Consequently, Mohammad Shakeel was chosen to temporarily fill the role, ensuring the university’s administration continued smoothly during this transitional period, according to The Indian Express.
The Delhi High Court nullified Eqbal Hussain’s appointments as Pro-Vice Chancellor and subsequently as Officiating Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, citing that the appointments did not comply with the relevant statute. This decision was based on a detailed examination of the procedural and statutory requirements that govern such appointments, highlighting discrepancies in the process that led to Hussain’s roles.
Following this, Professor Eqbal Hussain moved the Delhi High Court to challenge the appointment of Professor Mohammad Shakeel as the new Officiating Vice-Chancellor. Hussain’s counsel argued that the appointment of Professor Shakeel was both illegal and arbitrary.
They contended that the procedural norms and statutory regulations were not followed in this new appointment either, implying a recurring issue with the university’s administrative appointments.