SAACHI MAHAJAN Vs. PUNJAB UNIVERSITY AND OTHERS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Supplementary affidavit of Prof. Parvinder Singh, Officiating Registrar, Punjab University, Chandigarh on behalf of respondents-University has been filed and the same is taken on record. Copy supplied to the counsel opposite.

(2.) By this petition the petitioner has sought a writ of mandamus directing the respondents-University to treat her as a student of General category for her M.A. (English) course. In the alternative the prayer made is that atleast for M.A. (English) 2nd year she be treated as General category student.

(3.) The brief facts are that the petitioner had applied for M.A. (English) in the respondents-University and had appeared for the entrance test in June, 2015. On 02.07.2015 the respondents-University put up a notice on its official website notifying that counselling for M.A. (English) admission would take place from 08.07.2015. At that time the petitioner was away to the U.S.A. on a holiday and returned only on 14.07.2015. Her father met the Vice Chancellor, Punjab University, Chandigarh on 07.07.2015 and gave application (Annexure P-6) requesting the Vice Chancellor, Punjab University, Chandigarh to exempt her from personal appearance on 08.07.2015. However, when her father went on 08.07.2015 he was informed that his daughter could only be considered under NRI quota and at that time the father of the petitioner was in a hopeless position (even though the petitioner was entitled to admission in the General quota on the basis of her merit) and was forced to deposit fees as NRI student. Thereafter, in the Second year there were certain vacancies and the petitioner again applied to the respondents-University to transfer her in the Second year to the General quota instead of NRI quota because she was otherwise not NRI. Even this reasonable request was not accepted because of which the present petition has been filed.