ASHWINDER KAUR Vs. PUNJAB UNIVERSITY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This order of mine will dispose of C.W.P. Nos. 8065 and 8362 of 1988, filed by Ashwinder Kaur and Ritu Chadha, respectively, as identical questions of law, and facts are involved in both the writ petitions. The petitioners in both the writ petitions have challenged the criteria for admission to the course of Master of Library and Information Science for the Session 1988-89. The said criteria has been assailed on the ground that the petitioners had better merits in comparison to the candidates selected for admission, despite that they have been denied admission by adopting a criteria which is foreign to the Department of Library Science prospectus and the University Calendar.

(2.) Main order is handed down in CWP No. 8065 of 1988. For that purpose, brief facts are taken from that writ petition. Petitioner Ashwinder Kaur, who is a Graduate from the Punjab University, did her Bachelor of Library Science Examination in April, 1988 by securing second position in the Punjab University, securing 66% marks in that examination. The petitioner also passed M.A in Economics. She applied for admission to the M. Lib. Course for the year 1988-89 but she was not granted admission. One Anandeep Kaur, who stood first in the B. Lib. Science Course, was also denied admission in the Master of Library and Information Science Course, but was subsequently, under the orders of this Court, given admission in the said Course. The Vice-Chancellor confirmed the admission by creating one seat for her. In the present writ petition, the petitioner has prayed for issuance of a mandamus directing the respondents to admit the petitioner in Master of Library and Information Science Course for the Session 1988-89.

(3.) Both the writ petitions have been argued on three basic points; firstly, that for the purpose of admission, a new qualification of Master's Degree has been illegally inducted or introduced through the notice of admission in complete violation of the provisions laid down in the University Calendar and prospectus for 1988-89; secondly that the direct and indirect reservation of seats is much too excessive and lastly that the procedure laid down for 'normalisation' is neither rational nor justifiable.