ABHIJAY Vs. A I C T E

JUDGEMENT

(1.) By way of this writ petition, the petitioners, who are two in number, are seeking a writ of mandamus to be issued to the respondents to implement "the directions" issued by the respondent No.1 (AICTE) allowing lateral entry to engineering diploma holders to the second year of undergraduate engineering programmes in all approved colleges and courses in terms of the document entitled "Admission Regulations, 1992" dated 11.07.1992.

(2.) The petitioners are diploma holders and they sought admission to the second year undergraduate Engineering Programmes of Jamia Millia Islamia University (Respondent No.4) and the Delhi College of Engineering (Respondent No.5) and Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology (Respondent No.6). The respondent Nos. 5 and 6 are affiliated to and part and parcel of the University of Delhi.

(3.) Coming straightway to the Admission Regulations, 1992 which contained the guidelines for admission to Engineering Degrees and Engineering Programmes issued by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in purported exercise of the powers conferred under Sections 23 (1) and 10 (o) of the All India Council for Technical Education Act, 1987 (hereinafter referred to as 'the said Act'), the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners drew my attention to paragraph 2.0 of the said guidelines which pertain to lateral entry to Degree Engineering Programmes. The relevant portion of the said paragraph 2.0 reads as under:-