VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday stayed the implementation of a notification issued by Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) seeking to appoint Academic Consultants on a temporary basis for the 2025-26 academic year.

The division bench comprising Justice Battu Devanand and Justice A Hariharanatha Sharma questioned the university on which statutory provision the post of ‘Academic Consultant’ exists and took serious exception to the non-implementation of the rule of reservations in the recruitment process.

The case arose from a petition filed by K Kishore Kumar Reddy, S Sivashankar, and private employee Reddivari Arjun Reddy, who challenged the SVU Registrar’s notification dated October 31, claiming it violated the rule of reservations, Supreme Court directions, and constitutional provisions.

After a single judge declined to grant relief, the petitioners approached the division bench in appeal.

During the hearing, the court expressed strong concern over the growing practice of engaging teaching staff through contractual, outsourcing, and temporary methods instead of regular recruitment, noting that such policies exploit and disempower educated youth.

The bench warned the state government that it would not remain a silent spectator if steps were taken to weaken or destroy the university system.

It observed, “Education is a constitutional right of students,” and alleged that irresponsible and illogical decisions by officials were adversely impacting the quality of education and turning academic institutions into centres of casual labour.

The division bench also stayed the single judge’s earlier order that permitted SVU to proceed with the recruitment of academic consultants.