ABHIJIT K.K. Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition is filed by the petitioner seeking a writ of mandamus, commanding the respondents to afford opportunity to attend the National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA), scheduled to be conducted during the current academic year, after holding that petitioner was qualified as per the norms in Ext.P3 brochure released on 03.01.2018, and that the revised eligibility criteria published through Ext.P2 brochure released on 12.02.2019 is not applicable to the petitioner. Brief material facts for the disposal of the writ petition are as follows:

(2.) Petitioner is an eligible candidate for attending NATA examination to be conducted by the 2nd respondent, a competitive examination for securing admission to Architecture Degree Course, in view of the eligibility norms published as per Ext.P3 brochure. Petitioner passed the Senior School Certificate Examination in the year 2018. According to the petitioner, when the petitioner was about to submit application for the above examination, it is seen that the eligibility norm is re-fixed in Ext.P2, to the effect that only candidates securing 50% marks in the aggregate in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics alone are qualified to the said examination. Therefore, the qualification so prescribed all on a sudden deviating from Ext.P3 brochure is creating serious prejudice to the petitioner and other similarly situated students in participating in the entrance examination. It is also submitted that, since the eligibility criteria is changed all on a sudden, same is arbitrary and illegal, liable to be interfered with by this Court exercising the power of judicial review under Art. 226 of the Constitution of India.

(3.) I have heard learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned ASGI appearing for the respondents, and perused the pleadings and the documents on record.