August 11, 2025: The Punjab government has approached the Supreme Court seeking permission to allow 1,158 Assistant Professors and Librarians to continue working in government colleges on an interim basis. The plea follows the apex court’s July 14 ruling that quashed their appointments, citing “total arbitrariness” and violation of UGC norms.
The recruitment process, initiated in October 2021, advertised 1,091 Assistant Professor and 67 Librarian posts. The state replaced the traditional UGC-mandated procedures, such as viva-voce and Public Service Commission involvement, with a multiple-choice test. A single-judge bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court struck down the process in August 2022. However, a division bench later reinstated it in September 2024, leading to the appointments.
In July 2025, the Supreme Court overturned the appointments, directing fresh recruitment within six months. The verdict, delivered by Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K. Vinod Chandran, criticised the state’s method as contrary to established norms.
Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains has argued that permitting the current faculty to continue would ensure stability in colleges and prevent disruption for students. The state’s petition stresses the urgent need to avoid academic setbacks during the recruitment transition.
The cancellation has left hundreds of educators, many with NET and PhD qualifications, jobless and has caused faculty shortages in over 150 government colleges, including SCD Government College, Ludhiana. Several affected teachers left secure jobs for these posts and now face uncertain futures.
The Supreme Court’s decision on the state’s appeal will determine whether the educators can remain in service until a new recruitment process, compliant with UGC guidelines, is completed.
