Karnataka HC directs ISEC to issue new advertisement for post of its director

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has directed Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) and its Board of Governors (BOG) to issue a fresh advertisement calling for applications to the post of director of ISEC in conformity with January 30, 2025, public notice.

Justice S R Krishna Kumar passed this order while allowing the petition filed by Dr C M Lakshmana seeking directions for setting aside of the July 26, 2025, advertisement.

The petitioner contended that the ISEC and BOG issued the notification calling for applications to the post of Director by prescribing qualification and experience which are not in conformity with the qualification and experience provided for appointment to the post of a Vice Chancellor of Karnatak University, Dharwad, which was expressly adopted by the ISEC and the BOG on March 1, 2025. The petitioner consequently prayed for a direction permit him to apply for the post of director of ISEC.

The court noted that a combined reading of the decision taken by the BOG and the qualification and experience prescribed for selection of the Vice Chancellor of Karnatak University, Dharwad, by the state government is sufficient to conclude the minimum qualification and experience for the post of a director.

The qualification would be a distinguished academician, with a minimum of 10 years’ experience as Professor in a University or 10 years of experience in a reputed research and/or academic administrative organisation with proof of having demonstrated academic leadership.

The court noted that the minimum qualification and experience prescribed in the July 26, 2025, advertisement is contrasted with the qualification and experience approved earlier.

“I am of the considered opinion that the impugned advertisement to the extent of the same prescribing qualification and experience for appointment to the post of the Director of respondent Nos.2 and 3 (ISEC) deserves to be quashed and the same be substituted with the qualification and experience prescribed for the Karnatak University, Dharwad,” the court said.