Telangana HC Set Asides the Appointment of Director to NITHM
The court held that the appointment was legally unsustainable as the memorandum of association of NITHM expressly vested the power to determine qualifications, select and appoint the director exclusively with the governing council.
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has set aside the state government's appointment of the director of the National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (NITHM) here, holding that the government had usurped the statutory powers of the institution's governing council by making a unilateral appointment in violation of its rules and regulations.
Allowing a writ petition filed by the Centre for Better Governance, Justice Renuka Yara quashed GO Rt. No. 206 dated July 15, 2025, through which the government had appointed Prof. V. Venkata Ramana of the University of Hyderabad, as director of NITHM on deputation for three years.
The court held that the appointment was legally unsustainable as the memorandum of association of NITHM expressly vested the power to determine qualifications, select and appoint the director exclusively with the governing council.
The petitioner contended that the government had bypassed the autonomous governing council and directly appointed the director through a GO, despite Rule 12 of the NITHM rules requiring the council itself to determine the qualifications, tenure and terms of appointment of the director.
The petitioner also questioned the appointee's eligibility, alleging that he lacked the prescribed tourism and hospitality background and that the appointment was tainted by favouritism.
