ANIL KUMAR AND OTHERS Vs. UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This order shall dispose of a bunch of 7 cases bearing CWP Nos.13250, 16072, 19982, 20531, 20864, 21470 & 22587 of 2016 as the issues involved in all the writ petitions are common. However, for the sake of brevity, the facts are being extracted from CWP No.13250 of 2016.

(2.) This petition is filed for seeking a writ in the nature of certiorari for quashing the order dated 15.2016 by which the University Grants Commission [for short `the UGC'] declared the petitioners ineligible.

(3.) In brief, the petitioners have alleged that vide notification No.63 dated 4.2014, the Jats in the State of Haryana were declared Other Backward Classes [for short `OBC']. The petitioners were issued OBC certificates by the competent authority being Jats of the State of Haryana. The respondent held UGC-NET test for the JRF and eligibility for Assistant Professor for issuance of NET certificate on 28.12.2014. The petitioners applied under the OBC category in the said test and allegedly qualified the test for Assistant Professor only. It is alleged that the notification No.63 dated 4.2014 was challenged before the Supreme Court by way of Writ Petition (Civil) No.274 of 2014 titled as "Ram Singh and others v. Union of India". The said writ petition was allowed by the Supreme Court vide its order dated 17.2015 and the notification No.63 dated 4.2014 was quashed holding that the Jats are not to be treated as OBC in the State of Haryana. Thereafter, the respondent/UGC has passed the impugned order dated 12.5.2016 declaring the petitioners disqualified in the UGC-NET held on 28.12.2014. Aggrieved against the said decision of the UGC, the present petition has been filed.