Archive · 9 Oct 2026
Delhi High Court Orders DU to Refund Retired Professor
Vinod Kumar Khurana worked as a teacher at a Delhi University college.
He took three years off to research a PhD but did not submit his thesis during that time.
He returned to work in 1986 and kept working for more than 25 years before retiring in 2011.
After he retired, the university and college took Rs 25.75 lakh from his pay and retirement benefits.
Khurana challenged the deductions in court.
The Delhi High Court said the rules that applied to him did not allow the money to be taken back just because he had not finished his studies during leave.
The court ordered the university and college to restore his pay and recalculate his retirement benefits.
It also ordered pension arrears to be paid from December 1, 2011.
The Delhi High Court ordered Delhi University and a college to refund Rs 25.75 lakh recovered from retired teacher Vinod Kumar Khurana.
Khurana took three years of study leave for PhD research and returned to work in September 1986.
He continued working for more than 25 years and retired on November 30, 2011, without submitting his thesis during his study leave.
The court said the applicable rules did not permit recovery merely because he had not completed his studies.
The university and college must restore his pay and recalculate his pension, commuted pension and leave encashment, including pension arrears from December 1, 2011.
- Who
- Retired teacher Vinod Kumar Khurana, Delhi University and Swami Shraddhanand College.
- What
- The Delhi High Court ordered the university and college to refund Rs 25.75 lakh and recalculate Khurana’s retirement benefits.
- When
- The order was dated October 8; Khurana retired on November 30, 2011.
- Where
- Delhi, India.
- Why
- The court held that the applicable study-leave rules did not authorize recovery for his failure to complete his PhD during leave.
- Amount to be refunded
- Rs 25.75 lakh
- Salary recovery
- Rs 11.40 lakh
- Provident fund deduction
- Rs 14.35 lakh
- Study leave
- Three years, from September 1983 to September 1986
- Returned to duty
- September 15, 1986
- Retirement date
- November 30, 2011
- Pension arrears
- To be paid from December 1, 2011