SANGAMIRDHAM SOCIAL TRUST Vs. TAMIL NADU AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner is a Trust which has established the institution "Nalanda College of Agriculture" at Vazhaiyur Village, Manachanallur Taluk, Trichy District. The Government of Tamil Nadu vide G.O.Ms.No.173, Agriculture (AU) Department, dated 23.06.2016 permitted the petitioner to establish the institution. The first respondent also by a proceedings dated 30.06.2016, accorded temporary affiliation. The institution started admitting students from the academic year 2016-2017. Originally, the petitioner was permitted to admit 60 students per year and thereafter, by proceedings dated 13.08.2018 the first respondent increased the admission strength from the academic year 2018-2019 to 75.

(2.) The petitioner's institution is an unaided private college. It is not disputed that the petitioner has provided the required infrastructure and other facilities for admitting 75 students per year as per the regulations. A Memorandum of Understanding was entered into between the petitioner and the first respondent on 09.08.2016 stipulating several conditions and for the grant of affiliation. As per the Memorandum of Understanding, the terms and conditions including the minimum educational qualification for admission as prescribed in TNAU website has to be scrupulously followed and the petitioner institution should adhere to the admission schedule circulated by first respondent every year. As per clause No.5.10 of the Hand Book of Guidelines for Establishing Agricultural College (hereinafter referred to as 'Hand Book'), the seat sharing ratio between the first respondent and the petitioner college is 65% : 35%. Thus out of 75 sanctioned seats for B.Sc., (Agri) degree course, Government is entitled to fill up 49 seats and the petitioner management quota is 26 seats.

(3.) For the academic year 2019-2020, the first respondent uploded the "Information Brochure Under Graduate Admissions 2019". As per the said brochure, online counselling system was adopted by the university for all the degree programmes. Ranking procedure was followed on the basis of the marks obtained by the students in the higher secondary examination. Candidates are called for counselling in the order of merit. Based on the merit and communal roster, allotment of degree and college chosen by the candidate was made to fill up the Government quota in every college.