New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on the petition filed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) against the order of the Kerala High Court that allowed the appointment of Priya Varghese as an associate professor at Kannur University.

The HC had treated the period spent by her pursuing her PhD to be counted as teaching experience to allow her appointment.

Priya is the wife of K K Ragesh, private secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The special leave petition filed by the UGC was heard by a division bench of Justice J K Maheshwari and Justice K V Viswanathan.

While the UGC sought for the order of the Kerala High Court to be kept in abeyance, Priya sought the court's permission to maintain the status quo now that she has already been appointed.

Accordingly, the Supreme Court issued notice and stated that the appointment made via a disputed order will be subject to the outcome of the appeal.

"We are making it very clear, to some extent High Court is wrong," observed Justice J K Maheshwari during the hearing.
(With Live Law inputs)