J&K&L High Court: Guest Faculty Cannot Replace Full-Time Assistant Professors

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has held that part-time or guest faculty cannot substitute whole-time Assistant Professors in the Faculty of Law. 

The Court was hearing appeals by the University of Kashmir against a Writ Court order directing continuation of contractual lecturers until regular recruitment. 

The Bench reaffirmed that contractual or academic arrangement staff cannot ordinarily be replaced by another set of contractual employees, but clarified that the principle does not apply where engagements are not against substantive posts.

It ruled that while universities may engage experts for specialised or newly introduced subjects, such temporary arrangements cannot replace permanent faculty teaching core legal subjects.

[University of Kashmir & Ors v. Saba Manzoor & Ors]