HC directs CAU to appoint regular Dean by October 31

The High Court of Manipur has directed the Vice-Chancellor of Central Agricultural University (CAU), Manipur, to complete the process of appointing a regular Dean for the College of Agriculture, Iroisemba, by October 31, 2025. The order came in response to a writ petition filed by Athokpam Herojit Singh challenging the re-employment of a superannuated teacher at CAU.
The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kempaiah Somashekar and Justice A. Guneshwar Sharma was hearing the petition seeking quashing of an earlier order passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Guwahati, on January 24, 2025. The petitioner, represented by senior counsel S. Biswajit Meitei, argued that the re-employment order dated July 31, 2024, violated the CAU Act, statutes, and UGC guidelines, which restrict re-employed teachers from holding administrative or financial responsibilities.
Respondents, represented by senior counsels BP Sahu and M. Devananda, questioned the maintainability of the writ petition. However, after considering submissions, the court chose not to decide the case on merits but directed compliance with CAT’s earlier order.
The court ordered Vice-Chancellor Anupam Mishra, who was present during the hearing, to complete the appointment of a regular Dean within two months, setting October 31, 2025, as the deadline. Till then, the interim arrangement assigning charge to Dr. N. Brajendra Singh as Dean will remain in effect. The Bench cautioned that failure to comply within the stipulated period would be viewed seriously.