SEETHALEKSHMI R. Vs. THE MAHATMA GANDHI UNIVERSITY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition has been filed seeking the following reliefs :

(2.) The petitioners claim that they obtained B.Tech Degree in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering from Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT). They applied for M.Tech Course in Electronics & Communication Engineering with specilaization in VLSI & Embedded System in Adi Shankara Institute of Engineering and Technology, Kalady and Mangalam College of Engineering, Kottayam which comes under the Mahatma Gandhi University. The petitioners submit that though the first semester examination was to commence during the month of May 2014, they were not issued hall tickets. They approached the University and the Vice Chancellor to permit them to write the first semester examination. By an endorsement made in Exts.P3 and P4, they were permitted to write the first semester examination. However, the results were not declared. Similar situation arose when the second semester examination was also to commence. The petitioners were permitted to write the second semester examination also. This writ petition was filed at a time when the third semester examination was about to commence. The petitioners had written the third semester examination as per interim orders issued by this Court. It is inter alia contended that the B.Tech Course, which was the basic eligibility criteria undertaken by the petitioners, was equivalent to the basic degree that was required for M.Tech Course.

(3.) Counter affidavit has been filed by the respondents inter alia stating that on verification of qualification of the petitioners, it was seen that they were not eligible for admission to M.Tech Course in the specified subjects. The Principals of the Colleges were informed that the admission to the petitioners could not be regualrised as they have B.Tech Degree in Electronics and Instrumentation taken from CUSAT, which is not an eligible branch for admission to M.Tech in VLSI and Embedded System. According to the University B.Tech Courses in Electronics & Communication Engineering, Applied Electronics, Applied Electronics and Instrumentation or Electronics and Telecommunication alone were eligible B.Tech Courses for admission to the aforesaid M.Tech Course. However, on the request of the petitioners, the Vice Chancellor permitted them to provisionally write the first and second semester examinations. The matter was considered by the Board of Studies in Engineering and the entire syllabus was scrutinized. It is further indicated that the Principals of the Colleges were informed about the irregularity in admission on 15.01.2014 and 08.02.2014 when the qualification certificates of the petitioners were received from the Colleges. Subsequently the Board of Studies in Engineering also did not recommend the B.Tech Electronics and Instrumentation of CUSAT as eligible for M.Tech Course in the aforesaid subjects. Ext.R1(b) is the order dated 05.07.2014. It is therefore contended that the petitioners being not eligible for undertaking the course, cannot continue the studies and are not eligible to write the third semester examination or to complete the studies.