HC stays HRD Ministry order appointing scholar as Vice-Chairperson of Central Institute of Classical Tamil

The Madras High Court has stayed a Human Resources Development Ministry order cancelling the appointment of Tamil scholar Avvai Natarajan as Vice-Chairperson of Central Institute of Classical Tamil here.

Justice V Ramasubramanian stayed the November 21 order of the ministry and issued notices returnable in three weeks.

Natarajan was nominated to the post of vice-chairperson by the previous UPA government on February 25, 2014 for a period of three years. Noting that he was associated with CICT since its inception, the judge said he fulfilled all norms required for the post. On November 21, he received a scanned copy of his termination orders issued by the HRD ministry without assigning any reason.

Natarajan said the appointment of a vice-chairperson as well as removal are governed by specific rules and added they had not been followed before his tenure was brought to an abrupt end. Contrary to rules, Natarajan was removed and a retired professor of Pachaiyappa's college P Prakasam was appointed in his place, the petition said.

The CICT, which is an autonomous body under the HRD ministry, has chief minister of Tamil Nadu as ex-officio Chairperson.