The Supreme Court on Monday permitted 1,158 assistant professors and librarians to remain in their roles at government colleges in Punjab until new appointments are made.
Reacting to the development, Higher Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the decision offers significant relief and will help maintain continuity in education across the state’s government institutions.
The ruling came after the state government approached the apex court, requesting a revision of its earlier judgment dated July 14, which had annulled the recruitment of the same number of teaching and library staff in government colleges.
The court had previously voided the appointments, citing serious flaws and a lack of transparency in the selection process, which did not comply with University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations. Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K Vinod Chandran had overturned a September 2024 verdict by the Punjab and Haryana High Court that had upheld the appointments.
The Punjab government sought temporary relief, asking the court to let the personnel continue in service for the benefit of students.
Bains added that the state, under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is determined to defend the recruitment and will soon file a review petition in the Supreme Court.
