- (1.) THE present writ petition has been filed, challenging the decision contained in the letter dated 10.11.1997 of the Indian Council of Historical Research, whereby it communicated its regret/inability to grant revalidation of Senior Research Fellowship to petitioner's research project titled as Socialist Party (India) and its Off -Shoots, 1947 -77. The petitioner has further prayed for restraining the respondents from petitioner's working as Senior Research Fellow of the Indian Council of Historical Research with the department of Sociology of Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut as Centre of Study, and for a direction upon the respondents to pay to the petitioner an amount of Rs.4,000/ - per month for fellowship plus contingency grant of Rs.7,500/ - per annum for two years and an amount of Rs.5,000/ - per month without contingency w.e.f. 1.4.1997 to the entire period of fellowship i.e. two years along with arrears and interest thereon to be determined by this court. The petitioner has also prayed for payment of Rs.5,000/ - overhead charges to the University on the fellowship awarded to petitioner. At the time of hearing of the writ petition, the petitioner, who has appeared in person, has also prayed for special costs from respondents for harassment and victimization to him.
(2.) THE petitioner claims that he has submitted research project/fellowship proposal on the subject of "Socialist Party (India) and its Off -Shoots, 1947 -77" with the Indian Council of Historical Research (hereinafter referred to as Council), which fact was acknowledged by the Council in its communication dated 22.4.1993. As required by the communication dated 22.4.1993, an affiliation certificate was also issued by the Meerut University to the Council. The Council in its 78th meeting of the Research Project Committee decided to award Senior Research Fellowship at the rate of Rs.4,000/ - per month, an amount of Rs.7,500/ - per annum as contingency grant, for a period of two years. This decision was communicated to the petitioner by the Council vide its letter dated 23.3.1994. The petitioner was also required to intimate the date from which the project was to commence. The petitioner informed the Council vide his letter dated 19.8.1994 that since he has already been implementing a UGC project on different title and topic, as such, he has not been able to join the Senior Research Fellowship and, therefore, requested for extending the validity of the Senior Research Fellowship for a further period of six months. This request of the petitioner was accepted by the Council vide its letter dated 26.10.1994. While the period of six months was coming to a close, the petitioner submitted another letter dated 28.2.1995 for extending the validity of fellowship for a further period of two years. This letter of the petitioner was forwarded by Professor and Head of the Department of Sociology, to the Council intimating that the petitioner is implementing a UGC Major Research w.e.f. 11.1.1994 and, therefore, the fellowship awarded to him be extended for a period of two years in order to enable him to conclude the project already at hand. The letter dated 2.1.1996 of the Council is on record intimating the petitioner that revalidation sought by the petitioner has been approved in the 83rd Research Project Committee. The petitioner has brought on record extract of the Council Annual Report for the year 1995 -96, wherein at item no.16 it is mentioned that the Senior Research Fellowship of the petitioner stands revalidated.
(3.) THE petitioner claims that within the period of two years, for which revalidation had already been approved by the Council on 2.1.1996, the petitioner submitted his joining w.e.f. 11.1.1997 and he has commenced the project work. The petitioner has brought on record a letter dated 11.1.1997, duly recommended by the Professor and Head of the Department of Sociology of Meerut University, intimating that 11.1.1997 be taken as the date of commencement of the Senior Research Fellowship, sanctioned for petitioner's project and funds be released at an early date. The certificate evidencing petitioner's visit to the library of the Council on different date in connection of the research work is also annexed. It appears that upon the petitioner's request for 11.1.1997 to be treated as date of commencement, the Council issued a letter dated 26.3.1997, whereby petitioner was requested to revise and resubmit the new proposal for consideration of the Research Project Committee. This was objected, by the petitioner on the ground that research project/proposal had already been specified as being Socialist Party (India) and its Off -Shoots, 1947 -77, which had already been approved by the Council for the award of Senior Research Fellowship and that there is no occasion to review the project itself, after revalidation had already been granted. However, instead of permitting commencement of fellowship w.e.f. 11.1.1997, the Council has refused the request by regretting to grant revalidation itself. Thus aggrieved, the petitioner has filed the present writ petition.;