SUMIT BHATIA Vs. GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE present set of writ petitions concerns the modalities of lateral entry of students who complete their senior secondary examination with vocational stream subjects, to the Diploma course. They seek directions for their admission to the course for the current academic year.

(2.) THE relevant facts of the case are briefly mentioned below. The central Government, in 1984, notified that students who qualify the senior secondary school examination in vocational subjects could be admitted to second year of the diploma course in the concerned vocation course, in polytechnics. Admission was to be entirely on merit basis and 10% seats in the concerned subject were reserved for such students. These instructions were again reiterated by the All India Council of Technical Education (hereafter "aicte") by letter dated 04. 03. 2002, which continued the same eligibility criteria for admission to vocational stream subjects to Polytechnics under Govt. of NCT of Delhi, the candidates successful completion of senior secondary examination in the concerned vocational stream with at least 60% marks in third semester, without any Common Entrance Test.

(3.) THE respondents changed the eligibility criteria for admission through lateral entry- and completely did away the lateral entry seats in the prospectus for 2006. The petitioners and some others filed writ petitions challenging the changed criteria and denial of their admission to them, against lateral entry seats in the second year, third semester.