RASHESH KRISHNAKANT PATEL Vs. WALCHAND COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Rule. Respondents waive service. By consent of the parties, taken up for hearing forthwith.

(2.) The petitioners are students, who have secured admission to the first year of respective engineering courses in respondent 1- college. Some of the petitioners/students are minors and, therefore, they are represented by their parents.

(3.) The case of the petitioners is that they have secured admission in respondent 1-college i.e. Walchand College of Engineering on their own merit for the respective courses in the engineering stream. Their grievance is that in spite of the fact that respondent 1-college has been granted and recognized as an autonomous institution, respondent 1-college is not following the studies, curriculum and syllabi in the same modes, manners and methods as applicable to the autonomous institutions. It is contended that respondent 1-college had asked the students to make applications for regular examinations at semester level to be conducted as per norms of respondent 3 i.e. Shivaji University, Kolhapur. According to the petitioners, they opted for the choice of respondent 1-college since respondent 1-college had mentioned in its brochure that it was recognized as an autonomous institution. Even respondent 5 i.e. the State of Maharashtra has also recognized respondent 1-college as an autonomous institution. It is contended that the syllabi, curriculum, status as well as modes, manners and methods of teaching in an autonomous institution as mentioned in the brochure are quite different from those of the regular institution not having status of autonomous institution. The method of examination is also different. It is contended that though the degree certificate is always issued by the concerned University, the degree which would be secured by the students studying in an autonomous institution would not be B.E. degree, but it would be B.Tech degree. The petitioners contend that the autonomous institution has a higher status than the other regular institutions and, therefore, it is in the interest of the petitioners and other students that respondent 1-college acts upon and follows the same modes, manners and methods in respect of its studies, syllabi, curriculum and examinations, which are applicable to the autonomous institution.