Dr.M.Ponnuswamy vs University Of Madras on 20 February, 2008
7. The learned Additional Advocate General appearing for the respondent University on the other hand submitted that the decision relied on by the petitioner is relating to the appointment of faculty members in each department and when a single post is available in a department, there cannot be any reservation of that post and the same was found illegal in view of the judgment of the Supreme Court reported in AIR 1988 SC 959 (Dr.Chakradhar Paswan v. State of Bihar) and the said decision has nothing to do with the transfer of faculty members from one department to another department to handle classes of inter-disciplinary subjects. The learned Additional Advocate General further submitted that no faculty member will be transferred to other faculty, which has no relevant subject and a scheme will be evolved in consultation with the competent faculty members in the respective areas of studies and a strategy will be adopted and no faculty member will be put to any disadvantage. It is also pointed out by the learned Additional Advocate General that as per the Annexure filed in the typed set of papers, there are 65 departments and in some departments there are more number of students, however there is less number of faculty members and in some departments either there is no students or very few students, however, the faculty members are on the higher side. Therefore, the University resolved to re-deploy the excess faculty members to needy departments, that too only in the inter- disciplinary departments. Hence there will be no dilution of standards in the departments and the interest of the teaching staff will be taken care of. The Additional Advocate General also submitted that in the appointment orders given to every faculty members, it is clearly stated that they are liable to be transferred including to the Institute of Distance Education and therefore no further amendment in the statute to transfer the Professors, Readers and Lecturers is warranted.