Chandigarh, July 7 -- More than adecade after the issue of dubious PhD degrees from Meghalaya-based CMJ University surfaced, an assistant professor from DAV College, Sector 10, has become the first head to roll in the city. The college has terminated the services of assistant professor Mandeep Josan and relieved her from service with immediate effect. The action follows PU's June 10 orders, directing principals of all affiliated colleges to initiate termination proceedings against those holding PhD degrees from the said varsity within 30 days. There are 17 such teachers working across private institutions in Chandigarh. The decade-long inertia in taking action stemmed from a complex web of legal battles. Though the university's syndicate flagged the suspicious degrees in 2013, PU's legal retainers advised absolute restraint to avoid legal complications while the CMJ Foundation's appeals wound through the courts. In 2018, a three-member PU committee visited Meghalaya to verify university records, later observing that none of the affected teachers had ever approached state authorities for the verification or authentication of their degrees. The matter reached a standstill in 2022 when PU explicitly placed all provisional approvals in abeyance pending final court verdicts and further legal advice. The definitive turning point came on February 13, 2025, when the Supreme Court delivered its final judgment involving the CMJ Foundation and the state of Meghalaya. Armed with the apex court's ruling and fresh legal opinion, PU's competent authority decided to finally withdraw the provisional approvals....