SHIKHA AGGARWAL Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) LEAVE granted. Heard both sides. The State Government issued a Notification dated 21.3.2007 enumerated four categories of students who were eligible to apply for the seats earmarked under 'NRI quota'. The Respondent University issued a prospectus dated 28.3.2007 for 2007 Admissions incorporating the said four categories as eligible candidates for NRI quota seats. Category III under NRI quota seats pertains to Indian students sponsored by the NRIs, where sponsorship letter is attached with the application. The appellants in all these appeals were candidates for admission to post-graduate medical courses for the year 2007, falling under category III of the Notification dated 21.3.2007. Counselling for Category III was fixed on 13.7.2007 and appellants were present on that day, ready for counselling.

(2.) HOWEVER, categories III and IV were deleted from the NRI status by Corrigendum issued by the State Government on 13.7.2007. Feeling aggrieved, the appellants immediately filed writ petitions challenging the notification dated 13.7.2007 deleting category III and seeking a direction for admission under 'NRI quota'. The said writ petitions were dismissed. The High Court was of the view that having regard to the law laid down by this Court in P.A. Inamdar v. State of Maharashtra [2005 (6) SCC 537], students falling under categories III and IV could not be considered for admission under 'NRI quota'. We do not find any infirmity in the reasoning of the Division Bench in upholding the deletion.

(3.) WE make it clear that the deletion of categories III and IV, otherwise stands undisturbed and the relief granted to appellants on the peculiar facts of their cases, will not be considered as a precedent for other cases.