Kochi, Jan 6 (IANS): The Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) on Wednesday quashed the appointment of the principals to three government law colleges (GLCs) in the state after it was found that the UGC regulations in place at the time were not complied with while making the appointments.

Accordingly, the principals at the state-run law colleges at Ernakulam, Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram will have to be removed.

The appointments were cancelled by a KAT bench comprising judicial member Justice P.V. Asha and administrative member P.K. Kesavan.

The bench ruled that the appointments were made in violation of the provisions laid down by the UGC Regulations, 2010, as it also directed the state government to constitute a selection committee for making fresh appointments in accordance with the UGC Regulations.

"The state government is directed to consider all those who were eligible at the relevant time, irrespective of their retirements, and make appointments based on the said results. In the event of selection of those who retired from service, grant them appointments notionally and grant them all consequential benefits by way of fixation of pay and pension in the post of principals," the tribunal noted.

The order was passed on original applications moved before the KAT seeking directions to the state government to make appointments to the post of principal in GLCs in accordance with UGC Regulations, in compliance with a judgment of a full bench of the Keral High Court in 2016.

The applicants contended that the principals of the concerned GLCs were not qualified for the post as per the UGC Regulations, 2010, and that a proper selection committee was not constituted for making the appointments.