SURESH NAGAPPA KATTEBENNUR Vs. KARNATAKA STATE OPEN UNIVERSITY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioners were admitted to the degree course of B.A. or M.A. or B.Ed., offered by the 1st respondent University during the academic year 2013-14 and 2014-15, and are said to have successfully completed the said courses and passed examinations. However, as there were issues pertaining to recognition of the 1st respondent University by the 2nd respondent University Grants Commission, they were not issued the degree certificates. Hence the present writ petitions have been filed with a prayer to direct the 1st respondent University to issue the necessary degree certificates to the petitioners.

(2.) The 1st respondent is the Karnataka State Open University, which is the creature of a statute passed by the State Legislature and is wholly owned by the State of Karnataka. Relying upon the promise held out by the State, innocent students like the petitioners got admitted to the 1st respondent University. Due to misfeasance and malfeasance of the officers involved in managing the affairs of the University, there was problem in the 2nd respondent granting affiliation/recognition to the courses offered by the 1st respondent University, which has put the life of innocent students like that of the petitioners in jeopardy. Even before this Court, though the writ petition is of the year 2019, no statement has been filed by the 1st respondent University as to how they intend to safeguard the interest of the petitioners.

(3.) However, the advocate appearing for the 2nd respondent University Grants Commission fairly submits that, presently the courses offered by the 1st respondent University has been approved and a decision has been taken to also approve the admissions made by the 1st respondent University, even during the years when it did not have the necessary recognition in the interest of the students and also in the light of the order passed by this Court in W.P.No.32792/2019. It is submitted that the 2nd respondent has no objection if degrees are conferred on the petitioners by the 1st respondent, if they have successfully completed the courses, to which they were admitted.