Chapter VII GENERAL

All casual vacancies among the members other than ex officio members of any authority or other body of the University shall be filled as soon as conveniently may be, by the person or body who or which nominated the member whose place has become vacant and the person nominated to a casual vacancy shall be member of such authority or body for the residue of the term for which the person whose place he fills would have been a member: Provided further that no casual vacancy shall be filled if such vacancy occurs within six months before the date of the expiry of the term of the members of any authority or other body of the University.

No suit or other legal proceedings shall lie against any officer or employee of the University for anything which is in good-faith done or intended to be done in pursuance of the provisions of this Act, the Statutes or Ordinances.

No act or proceeding of any authority or other body of the University shall be invalidated merely by reason of the existence of any vacancy or of any defect or irregularity in the election, or appointment of a member of any authority or other body of the University or of any defect or irregularity in such act or proceeding not affecting the merits of the case.

(1) No person shall be qualified for election or nomination as a member of any of the authorities of the University if, on the date of such election or nomination, he is (a) of unsound mind, deaf-mute or suffering from leprosy; or (b) an applicant to be adjudicated as an insolvent or an un-discharged insolvent; or (c) sentenced by a criminal court to imprisonment for any offence involving moral turpitude. (2) In case of dispute or doubt as whether a person is disqualified under sub-section (1) the Executive Council shall refer such case to the Chancellor, whose decision thereon shall be final.

(1) The Executive Council may remove by an order in writing made in this behalf any person from membership of any authority of the University by a resolution passed by a majority of the total membership of the Executive Council and by a majority of not less than two thirds of the members of the Executive Council present and voting at the meeting. If such person has been convicted by criminal court for an offence which in the opinion of the Executive Council involves moral turpitude or if he has been guilty of gross misconduct and for the same reason, the Executive Council may withdraw any degree or diploma conferred on or granted to that person by the University. (2) The Executive Council may also by an order in writing made in this behalf remove any person from the membership of any authority of the University if he becomes of unsound mind or deaf-mute or suffers from leprosy or has applied to be adjudicated or has been adjudicated as an insolvent. (3) No action under this section shall be taken against any person unless he has been given a reasonable opportunity to show cause against the action proposed to be taken. (4) A copy of every order passed under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), as the case may be, shall as soon as may be after it is so passed, be communicated to the person concerned in the manner prescribed.

If any question arises whether any person has been duly elected or nominated as, or is entitled to be, a member of any authority of the University or other body of the University, the question shall be referred to the Chancellor whose decision thereon shall be final.

All the authorities of the University shall have power to constitute or reconstitute Committees and delegate to them such of their powers as they deem fit. Such Committees shall, save as otherwise provided, consist of members of the authority concerned and of such other persons, if any, as the authority in each case may think fit.

Until the Authorities of the University are constituted under sub-section (1) of Section 48, the Vice-Chancellor, shall, subject to the approval of the Chancellor have power,- (1) to appoint such advisory or selection committees as he may think fit; (2) to appoint such members of the teaching staff as may be necessary; and (3) to appoint such ministerial and lower grade staff as may be necessary.

Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or any other law for the time being in force, the Government may by order in writing, call for any information from the University on any matter relating to the affairs of the University and the University shall, if such information is available with it, furnish the Government with such information within a reasonable period: Provided that in the case of information which the University considers confidential, the University may place the same before the Chancellor.

Copy of any receipt, application, notice, or proceeding, resolution of any authority or committee of the University or any entry in any register duly maintained by the University, if certified by the Registrar shall be received as prima facie evidence of such receipt, application, notice, proceeding or resolution, document for the existence of entry in a register and shall be admitted as evidence of the matters and transactions, wherein the original thereof would if produced have been admissible in evidence notwithstanding anything in the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (Central Act 1 of 1872) or in any other law for the time being in force.

(1) No attendance at any instruction other than that conducted or recognised by the University shall qualify for admission to an examination of the University other than the entrance examination to the University.

Notwithstanding anything in this Act and the statutes, the first Vice-Chancellor, the first Registrar and the first Finance Officer shall be appointed by the Chancellor on a salary to be fixed by him and each of the said officers shall hold office for a period to be fixed by him but not exceeding three years.

(1) It shall be the duty of the First Vice-Chancellor to make arrangements for constituting the Executive Council and such other authorities of the University within six months from the commencement of the Act or such longer period not exceeding one year as the Government may, by notification, direct. (2) The first Vice-Chancellor shall, in consultation with the Government, make such rules as may be necessary for the functioning of the University. (3) The authorities constituted under sub-section (1) shall commence to exercise their functions on such date as the Government may, by notification, specify in this behalf. (4) It shall be the duty of the first Vice-Chancellor to draft such statutes, as may be necessary and submit them to the Executive Council for their approval. Such statutes when framed shall be published in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette. (5) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act and the statutes and until such time an authority is duly constituted, the first Vice-Chancellor may appoint any Officer or constitute any committee temporarily to exercise and perform any of the powers and duties of such authority under this Act and the statutes.

No benefaction shall be accepted by the University, which in the opinion of the authorities of the University, involves conditions or obligations as to the religious belief in the admission or appointment of members, students, teachers or in any other connection whatsoever: Provided that nothing in this section shall prevent the University from accepting any such benefaction intended for the promotion of research in any branch of study.

(1) The Executive Council may invite a person of high academic distinction and professional attainments to accept a post of Professor in the University on such terms and conditions at it deems fit and on the person agreeing to do so, appoint him to the post. (2) The Executive Council may appoint a teacher or any other member of the academic staff working in any other university or organisation for undertaking a joint project in the manner prescribed.

(1) If any difficulty arises as to the first constitution or reconstitution of any authority of the University after the commencement of this Act or otherwise in giving effect to the provisions of this Act, the Government may by notification, make such provision, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act as may appeal to them to be necessary or expedient for removing the difficulty: Provided that no such notification shall be issued after the expiry of three years from the date of commencement of this Act. (2) All notifications made under sub-section (1) shall, as soon as may be after they are made, be placed on the table of Legislative Assembly of the State and shall be subject to such modifications by way of amendments or repeal as the Legislative Assembly, may make either in the same session or in the next session.

(1) Every employee shall be appointed under a written contract which shall be lodged with the Registrar and a copy of which shall be furnished to the employee concerned. (2) Any dispute arising out of a contract between the University and any employee may be referred by the Vice Chancellor to a Grievances Committee consisting of such persons not being members of the Executive Council as may be nominated by the Executive Council.

Any student or candidate for an examination whose name has been removed from the rolls of the University by the orders or resolution of the Vice Chancellor, Discipline Committee or Examination Committee, as the case may be and who has been debarred from appearing at the examinations of the University for more than one year may within ten days of the date of communication of such orders or copy of such resolution to him, appeal to the Executive Council and the Executive Council may confirm, modify or reverse the decision of the Vice Chancellor or the Committee, as the case may be.

Every employee or student of the University shall, notwithstanding anything contained in this Act have a right to appeal within such time as may be prescribed by the statutes to the Executive Council against the decision of any officer or authority of the University and thereupon the Executive Council may confirm, modify or reverse the decision appealed against.

(1) The University shall constitute for the benefit of its employees in such manner and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the Statutes, such schemes of pension, provident fund and insurance as it may deem fit with the prior approval of the Government. (2) Where such provident or pension fund has been so constituted, the Government may declare that the provisions of the Provident Fund’s Act, 1925 (Central Act 9 of 1925), shall apply to such funds as if it were a Government Provident Fund.