UNIVERSITY OF DELHI Vs. ANUPAM

JUDGEMENT

(1.) % 14.08.2020 HEARD THROUGH VIDEO CONFERENCING. CM APPLs. 18920/2020, 18921/2020 and 18922/2020 (exemption) Allowed, subject to all just exceptions. LPA 203/2020 and CM APPL. 18918/2020 (stay) 1. The appellant/Delhi University is aggrieved by the order dated 07.08.2020 passed by the learned Single Judge in WP(C) 3946/2020 in particular, the directions issued in para 78(m) whereby a four member Grievance Redressal Committee constituted by the University, has been reconstituted.

(2.) Mr.Sachin Datta, learned Senior Advocate appearing for the appellant/Delhi University submits that the University has created a two tier system to deal with the grievances received from the final year students who have sat for the examinations conducted through the online OBE mode that have commenced on 10.08.2020. The first tier comprises of the Delhi University's Grievance Officers headed by Dr.Ajay Arora and the second tier comprises of a Grievances Redressal Committee, whose members are senior ranking academicians. Learned Senior Advocate states that the learned Single Judge has exceeded the jurisdiction vested in her by treating the writ petition as a PIL and passing a slew of directions including reconstituting the said Committee. Two members have been dropped and three names added out of whom, one is a retired judge of the Delhi High Court appointed as the Chairperson, the other two members are a Senior Advocate and a practicing advocate of the High Court. Learned Senior Advocate states that the aforesaid reconstitution of the Grievances Redressal Committee is most unwarranted and reflects poorly on the Delhi University and its integrity. Hence, the present appeal.

(3.) Per contra, Mr.Akash Sinha, learned counsel for the respondents No.1 to 6 supports the impugned order and states that there is no reason for the appellant/University to harbour any grievance against the reconstitution of the Grievance Redressal Committee particularly when two of the members nominated by the appellant/University to the Committee have been retained. He further states that in any case, the Committee is the second tier and it would be required to conduct a scrutiny of a grievance only after the same has been examined by the first tier that is manned entirely by officers of the Delhi University.