Srinagar, Nov. 8 -- The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has restrained the University of Kashmir from replacing its existing contractual lecturers "by making similar arrangements under a change of nomenclature," terming such administrative practices impermissible under law.

A Division Bench of Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice Sanjay Parihar passed the direction while deciding a batch of appeals filed by the University challenging a single-judge order that had allowed contractual lecturers to continue until regular appointments were made.

The court observed that the University must refrain from creating new titles or temporary designations merely to replace existing appointees performing the same academic duties. "Experienced...