Summary
The Supreme Court dismissed a petition by seven students enrolled in 2004–2005 in distance-mode engineering courses at JRN Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, a deemed university. Their challenge to the treatment of those degrees was governed by Orissa Lift Irrigation, including its examination-based remedial scheme. The exception invoked concerning Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University did not assist them because that institution was a State university within Bharathidasan’s ruling. The ex post facto approvals relied upon had already been considered in Orissa Lift Irrigation.
Issues
- Whether deemed-university distance engineering students could invoke the treatment afforded to a State university.
- Whether the earlier Orissa Lift Irrigation decision left a basis for the requested degree-validity declarations.
Held
- The earlier Orissa Lift Irrigation decision governed whether the deemed universities concerned could introduce distance-mode engineering courses without AICTE approval. Its directions, reproduced in this judgment, included suspension and testing arrangements for the specified earlier enrolment cohort, with revival on successful completion of the prescribed tests. (¶ 1–3)
- The petitioners had enrolled at JRN Rajasthan Vidyapeeth in 2004 and 2005; counsel stated that they had appeared in the AICTE examination. Their case was governed by Orissa Lift Irrigation. The Court made no individual finding that any petitioner had passed or that a particular degree stood revived. (¶¶ 1, 3, 5)
- Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University was a State university and fell within Bharathidasan. Its treatment did not extend the same protection to these deemed-university students. The documents and ex post facto approvals relied upon had already been examined in Orissa Lift Irrigation, leaving no reason to depart from that decision. The petition was dismissed as without merit. (¶ 4–6)
Result
Writ petition dismissed; the petitioners’ cases remained governed by Orissa Lift Irrigation rather than the State-university decision relied upon.