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Section 34 of The Indira Gandhi National Open University Act, 1985

All the casual vacancies among the members (other than ex officio members) of any authority or other body of the University shall be filled, as soon as may be convenient, by the person or body who appoints elects or co-opts the member whose place has become vacant and any person appointed, elected or co-opted to a casual vacancy shall be a member of such authority or body for the residue of the term for which the person whose place he fills would have been a member.

Summary

This section explains how to handle "casual vacancies," which are unexpected openings that occur before a term normally ends.
It applies to all members of any University body, except for those who are members because of their job title (ex officio members).
The vacancy must be filled as soon as it is convenient to do so.
The person or group that originally appointed, elected, or co-opted the member is responsible for filling the vacancy.
The new person appointed to fill the gap does not start a full new term.
Instead, the new member only stays in the position for the remainder of the original term.

Practical examples

1Dr. Mehta is elected to a three-year term on the Academic Council starting in January 2026. She resigns in January 2027 to take a job elsewhere. The body that elected her holds a new election, and the replacement member serves only until December 2028 (the "residue" of the term).

2A nominated member of the Finance Committee, Mr. Roy, passes away in May 2027, six months before his term was set to end. The Board of Management appoints a successor in June 2027, and this new person serves only those final few months.

FAQ

1. Who picks the replacement?

The same person or body that originally appointed, elected, or co-opted the member who left must pick the successor.

2. Does the new person get a fresh five-year term?

No, they only serve for the "residue" or the remaining portion of the term that the previous person was supposed to finish.

Test yourself

Q1.Under Section 34 of The Indira Gandhi National Open University Act, 1985, which type of members are NOT covered by the rules for filling casual vacancies?

Q2.According to Section 34 of The Indira Gandhi National Open University Act, 1985, how long does a person appointed to a casual vacancy stay in office?

Q3.Under Section 34 of The Indira Gandhi National Open University Act, 1985, who is responsible for filling a casual vacancy?

Q4.Under Section 34 of The Indira Gandhi National Open University Act, 1985, when should a casual vacancy be filled?

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