Chandigarh, July 22 -- The recruitment of 1,158 assistant professors in Punjab's government colleges, which were struck down by the Supreme Court recently, was carried out despite a clear warning from the then Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) vice-chancellor Jaspal Singh, whose opinion was sought by the state higher education department in 2021. In a stinging indictment of the recruitment exercise carried out by the then Charanjit Singh Channi-led Congress in the run-up to the 2022 Punjab assembly polls, the Supreme Court, on July 18, held the selection was not just arbitrary but also appeared driven by 'narrow political gains' aimed at garnering electoral advantage. "The entire process is arbitrary and was followed not in the interest of the state or for the cause of higher education but for narrow political gains. One cannot fail to notice the burning haste with which this entire exercise was undertaken by the powers that be," lamented the court, underlining that the entire process, from issuing the advertisement to distributing appointment letters, was wrapped up in just about two months. Former GNDU V-C had advised the higher education minister, Pargat Singh, not to rush with the process as it would violate binding University Grants Commission (UGC) norms and could face legal consequences, according to the files of the higher education department as accessed by HT. Singh had written to the higher education department, stressing that recruitment to teaching posts must comply strictly with UGC guidelines, which include minimum eligibility criteria, NET qualification, and proper adherence to reservation rosters. He had warned that bypassing these rules would not withstand judicial scrutiny. "There should be a departmental selection committee, which should carry out the recruitment of assistant professors, instead of conducting a written test and making merit. The UGC guidelines are binding on the state and adopted by Punjab while conferring the pay commission benefits to teachers in higher education", Jaspal had opined while quoting some of the earlier judgments of the apex court. The minister, however, ignored the caution and the state government fast-tracked recruitment in 2021, promising to fill all posts within 100 days. Pargat Singh, who is now Congress MLA from Jalandhar Cantt, said the move was a much-needed intervention after two decades of a hiring freeze. "My intent was never in question. Higher education in Punjab had been neglected for years, and we had to act. There had been no recruitment since 1998, and students were suffering. The aim was to revive standards and provide jobs," Pargat said, defending his decision. He said that it was the duty of the officers and higher education departments to comply with rules, while "my duty was to ensure transparent and fair selection, zero corruption, which I ensured." "The apex court's decision was based on procedural errors, not on corruption. The procedure has to be defended by officers. I initiated the process, but it was completed by the AAP government, which earlier took credit and is now passing the blame. The AAP government mishandled the legal case," the MLA said....