How did a Chemistry Professor become the Head of the English Department in Gujarat? Questions raised about the university administration

A decision by Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University has become a source of controversy, after the university appointed a professor from the Chemistry Department as the Head of the English Department.

A decision by Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University in Gujarat has become a source of controversy, after the university appointed a professor from the Chemistry Department as the Head of the English Department. This decision not only created discontent within the university but also led to a court case, where the court posed sharp questions to the administration.

The whole matter began when the Head of the English Department, Adesh Pal, retired in June 2025.  Following this, the university appointed Kokilaben Parmar, a faculty member from the Chemistry Department, as the Head of the English Department. Hetal Patel, a faculty member of the English Department, disagreed with this decision and challenged the appointment before the Education Tribunal.

What was the university's argument?

After appointing a Chemistry professor as the Head of the English Department in Gujarat, the university's lawyer, Meet Shah, argued in court that the seniority of the faculty in the English Department had not yet been determined. He also stated that Kokilaben Parmar had only been given administrative responsibilities, not the role of making academic decisions. The university also argued that this was not a service matter but a temporary administrative arrangement, and therefore the Tribunal did not have the authority to hear the case.

The role of the Tribunal and the High Court

On October 10, 2025, the Education Tribunal stayed the university's decision. Following this, Kokilaben Parmar approached the High Court, stating that the Tribunal had issued the stay order without hearing her side of the story. A week later, the High Court stayed the Tribunal's order. Meanwhile, the university also challenged the Tribunal's decision in the High Court.

Court Asks Tough Questions

During the hearing on this matter on Tuesday, Justice Nirzar Desai directly questioned the university, asking how a chemistry professor could understand the academic problems of English literature students. The university could not provide a concrete answer and only stated that the role of the acting HOD was limited to administrative duties. The court also questioned how an HOD without subject knowledge could help the students. Following this, the university presented a draft order to the court, proposing that a faculty member from the English department be appointed as the acting HOD in place of Kokilaben Parmar. The university also clarified that it was unable to make the change immediately due to the High Court's stay order. Furthermore, Hetal Patel objected to the name of the faculty member proposed and cited seniority rules regarding the appointment. Subsequently, Kokilaben Parmar and the university withdrew their respective petitions. The High Court, addressing Hetal Patel's objection, stated that she could challenge the new appointment before the appropriate authority as per the law.