VENKATARAJAIAH Vs. OSMANIA UNIVERSITY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These three Writ Petitions raise a common and interesting question in the realm of University law and it is appropriate to dispose them of by a common order. At the time of preliminary hearing, learned Counsel requested to dispose of main Writ Petitions themselves and they were heard finally. The facts may be briefly stated.

(2.) In W.P.No. 9791 of 2000, the two petitioners allege that they are students of the Osmania University. The first petitioner is studying M.A. first year and the 2nd petitioner has completed M.A. final year. Both of them belong to Backward Class. They were granted hostel accommodation by the 2nd respondent. They allege that they made deposit in an amount of Rs. 1,500/- each as per the University stipulations for the respective years of the course. This deposit is called mess and hostel deposit. It is their further case that though for the relevant period i.e., up to 13-6-2000, the respondents collected mess charges of Rs. 600.00 from all the students, they have closed down the mess on 1-6-2000 without any reason. On 6-6-2000, the Registrar of the 1st respondent-University issued order/notice closing down the campus hostels with effect from 10-6-2000 and all the boarders were requested to vacate the premises with luggage and hand over possession thereof to the Wardens/Caretakers concerned. However, the boarders of E-1 hostel were permitted to keep their luggage in their respective rooms allotted to them. The order seeks to close down the hostels indefinitely and in an indiscriminate manner, and in that some students have to leave the hostels with bag and baggage, while others have been given the opportunity to leave the hostel by keeping their luggage in their respective rooms. The order does not disclose any reasons and the same is illegal. In the entire State of Andhra Pradesh, the campus hostels of any University were never closed. The University being a place where the students are exposed to higher education and learning, the hostels should not have been closed down. A student who joins the course for a particular duration requires not only to complete the course but also has to gain worldly knowledge so that he can come out from the campus with purpose of usefulness to the society at large.

(3.) For the purpose of availing the facilities provided by the University, the students are required to pay amounts towards room rent charges and mess charges. The University is collecting an amount of Rs. 60.00 per student, which includes charges towards electricity and water. Apart from this, mess charges have to be paid depending upon the food ordered by the students. The students belonging to O.C. category have to deposit a sum of Rs. 3,000.00 for utilising the hostel facility. The students belonging to Backward Class and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have to deposit Rs. 1,500/- and these students are provided with scholarship towards mess charges and also room rent at the rate of Rs. 400.00 and Rs. 520/- per month respectively. Besides this, students belonging to economically poor people (EPP) are granted an amount of Rs. 225/- as mess charges besides an amount of Rs. 25.00 as pocket money. A boarder of the hostel is allowed to use facility of mess only if he clears the mess bill of the previous month. The deposit collected by the University at the rate of Rs. 3,000/- from the students belonging to OC category and at the rate of Rs. 1,500.00 from the students belonging to B.C. and S.C. categories will sufficiently take care of the entire duration of the course and, therefore, having collected the room rent for the entire period in advance, the respondents cannot close down the hostel in an arbitrary manner.