India, July 27 -- The Orissa High Court has upheld the decision to remove Professor Dr. Durga Shankar Pattanaik from the post of Chairperson of the Post Graduate Council (PGC) at Utkal University, dismissing his writ petition challenging the move.

In its judgment, a single bench of Justice A.K. Mohapatra held that the post of PGC Chairperson is not an independent service position but an additional administrative responsibility assigned to a professor. The court observed that relieving a professor of such a responsibility does not affect their service conditions, salary, rank or other employment rights.

Dr. Pattanaik was appointed as PGC Chairperson on June 1, 2022, for a two-year term. However, after completing one year, the university...