MUMBAI, May 13 -- The Bombay High Court (HC) has pulled up Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan's Mumbadevi Adarsh Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya in Girgaon for keeping an assistant professor on probation for nearly seven years - far beyond the two-year limit prescribed in her appointment. Assistant professor Reshu Singh, who joined the college on April 20, 2018, completed her two-year probation period by April 2020. Yet, despite repeated follow-ups, she was never given a confirmation letter. In a strongly worded judgment delivered on May 6, the court directed the college to issue Singh's confirmation letter with effect from June 20, 2020. She will now be entitled to five increments and regular scale promotions. The court criticised the college for its inaction, calling it "shocking to judicial conscience" and "nothing short of exploitation". It also took note of the college's Gandhian legacy, saying the treatment of Singh went against the values the institution claims to uphold. "Teachers cannot be treated in this manner," said the division bench of justices Ravindra Ghuge and Ashwin Bhobe. "This college was founded with the blessings of Mahatma Gandhi. If it is to truly follow his ideals, then its employees must be treated fairly and with dignity." Despite Singh's multiple emails and reminders between 2021 and 2023, the confirmation was never issued. The college cited a delay in approval from the Central Sanskrit University (CSU), but the central government clarified that the college management had full authority to issue the letter. Singh's lawyer pointed out that according to University Grants Commission (UGC) rules, probation can last for a maximum of two years. Singh, however, was left in limbo for 6 years and 10 months - a clear violation of UGC norms....