SUKHWINDER KAUR Vs. PUNJAB AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Ms. Sukhwinder Kaur has filed the present writ petition under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India for the issuance of a writ of mandamus directing respondents No. 1 and 2 to consider her for admission to B.Ed. Course 1999-2000 as per her merit against the 9 vacant seats.

(2.) The case set up by the petitioner is that she passed her B.Sc. Home Science from College of Home Science, Kaoni, District Muktsar, Punjab, in the Session ending July, 1999. She got 67.6% marks in B.Sc. Home Science. Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana issued prospectus for admission to various courses in the colleges affiliated to it. The College of Agricultural, Ludhiana, has got the provision for imparting education in B.Ed. Course. There are 25 seats for B.Ed. in it. This college is under the direct control and supervision of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. According to the petitioner, she qualifies for admission to B.Ed. Course and she submitted her application complete in all respects. The same was entertained and considered by the University. As per procedure laid down in Rule 7A, a merit list was prepared for admission to B.Ed. Course. In the merit list prepared by the Punjab Agricultural University, the petitioner was placed at serial No. 47 in the list for B.Ed. Course. On 23.8.1999, the respondents called the candidates from Merit No. 34 to 44 for counselling. However, the petitioner was not called. On the next day, i.e. on 24.8.1999, the petitioner along with her father met the Vice Chancellor and requested that the petitioner should have been considered for admission as her merit was at serial No. 47. The petitioner and her father did not get any satisfactory reply from the Vice Chancellor. Hence the present writ mainly on the ground that as per para 7-A of the Prospectus the candidates three times in number of the seats, were required to be called for interview and in the alternative, the case set up by the petitioner is that University was supposed to fill the vacant seats.

(3.) Notice of the petition was given to the respondents. Written-statement has been filed in which the respondents have denied the allegations.