Delhi HC issues notice on plea seeking removal of India’s patent head

The Delhi High Court on Thursday (March 19, 2026) issued notice on a plea filed by a body of patent officers seeking removal of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM), Prof. Unnat P. Pandit, who heads the intellectual property rights administration in India.

The High Court issued notice to the Centre and Mr Pandit after taking note of a Supreme Court order directing it to expeditiously decide the plea challenging his appointment. The High Court has listed the matter for further hearing in May.

The petition has been filed by the All India Patent Officers’ Welfare Association (AIPOWA) alleging that Mr Pandit’s appointment was “illegal and arbitrary” and made in violation of prescribed eligibility criteria. appeared for the petitioner association.

According to the petitioner, represented by Advocate Gyanant Kumar Singh, the appointment process allegedly deviated from government norms, including the requirement of an open advertisement as mandated under a Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Office Memorandum.

The petition further claims that Mr Pandit lacked the requisite experience and did not possess the mandatory five years of Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs)/Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APARs) required for deputation appointments. It also alleges irregularities in the selection process, including a change in the composition of the Search Committee after its first meeting and the decision to proceed without issuing a fresh advertisement.

Additionally, the plea contends that the appointment was made for a five-year term in violation of DoPT norms which prescribe an initial tenure of three years, extendable by two more years. The association has argued that the process denied eligible candidates an opportunity to apply after the government allegedly moved away from the Central Staffing Scheme route and opted for a Search Committee mechanism.