Allahabad High Court pulls up UP government over Gautam Buddha University’s five-year audit lapse

The Allahabad High Court has expressed serious concern over the Gautam Buddha University in Noida for failing to audit its accounts since 2020, calling the lapse a “very serious issue” and questioning why the Uttar Pradesh government did not intervene earlier.

Justice Vikram D. Chauhan made the observations while hearing a bail plea, during which the court was informed that the state-run university had not conducted an annual audit of its finances for five years.

Emphasising the importance of higher education institutions, the court said universities are the “cradle of civilisation” and deal with students who represent the country’s future.

“Such institutions are required to be run with impeccable integrity and transparency,” the court said in its October 27 order.

The judge noted that universities receive funds from the state government and the public exchequer, making regular audits essential to ensure that public money is used for its intended purpose and not misused.

The court observed that the university’s failure to conduct audits since 2020 reflected a “sorry state of affairs.” It said the state government should have acted immediately by directing the university to complete the audit and holding responsible officials accountable if it failed to do so.

“If the University fails to take action, then such incompetent officers, including the Vice-Chancellor, ought to have been taken to task,” the court observed.

The court was told that the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor had written to the state government on February 11, 2026, seeking a comprehensive audit, including a forensic audit. The university’s counsel also acknowledged that audits should be conducted annually.

The High Court directed Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary to file a personal affidavit, or nominate an officer not below the rank of principal secretary to do so, explaining the action taken against university officials—including the former Vice-Chancellor—for the five-year audit failure.

The court also sought details on why the state government had not ordered a special or regular audit since 2020, and what procedures exist to ensure immediate action against officials who fail to perform their duties.

The state has been asked to place on record any orders issued to the university regarding audits since 2020. If the required affidavit is not filed by the next hearing, the Chief Secretary must remain present in court.

The matter will now be heard again on November 2.