CAT reverses UGC dismissal order; reinstates former UGC secretary after five years

More than five years after the University Grants Commission (UGC) terminated the services of its former Secretary Rajesh Anand over a range of charges, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has set aside the dismissal order terming it ‘highly excessive, harsh, severe and disproportionate to the proven delinquency’.

Further, the principal bench of the CAT ordered his reinstatement.

The CAT, in an order dated February 28, 2022, said that the UGC’s charges against Anand were “not too grave to attract the extreme punishment of dismissal from service in terms of service law”.


“Even if the whole case of prosecution is taken to be true, the impugned punishment shocks our judicial conscience being highly excessive, harsh, severe and disproportionate to the proven delinquency. We are also of the view that for every lapse on the part of the employee, serious punishment depriving him and his family of the entire livelihood is not desirable”, the CAT order said setting aside the 15.06.2016 dismissal order issued by the UGC.

Anand had submitted to the CAT that he had sought VRS in 2013 from UGC which was rejected summarily and instead he was transferred to Bhopal and then suspended by the UGC on 16.01. 2014 alleging violation of Rule 21 of the General Financial Rules.

On 24.04.2014 he was served a chargesheet with six articles of charge varying for alleged violations of UGC Conduct rules to misleading the Commission on factual details and making baseless allegations detrimental to the Commission.

A subsequent UGC inquiry also ruled against him leading to his dismissal from service following a decision taken to the effect in the 515th meeting of the UGC held on 20.05.2016.

Anand submitted to the CAT that the actions against him were attempts to ‘marginalize him and to implicate him in false cases’ and that the Inquiry against him was illegal and premeditated.