Panjab University to inform HC on 3-yr law entrance today

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 31

Panjab University was today given a day’s time to inform the Punjab and Haryana High Court whether the entrance examination was being held by the university for the three-year law course.

Also under scanner

The issue of holding the final semester examination by Panjab University is also under the judicial scanner and the matter is expected to come up for hearing this week with the Supreme Court already adjudicating “similar controversy” before it.

As a petition filed against Panjab University and other respondents by Saurav Rao and other came up for resumed hearing through videoconferencing, university counsel Arun Kumar Bakshi sought time to obtain instructions whether the entrance examination for the course was being held.

Taking a note of the submission, the Bench of Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Avneesh Jhingan fixed September 1 as the next date of hearing in the matter. The issue of holding the final semester examination by Panjab University is also under the judicial scanner and the matter is expected to come up for hearing in this week with the Supreme Court already adjudicating “similar controversy” before it.

The Bench, on a previous date of hearing, was told that the issue regarding guidelines issued by the UGC to conduct examination was pending before the Supreme Court. The Bench had on August 20 made it clear that the stay on conducting the “final examinations” by the university would continue till the Supreme Court verdict on the issue.

The order came after the Bench of Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu was told that a similar controversy had already been argued before the Supreme Court and the judgment stood reserved.

Adjourning the matter sine die, Justice Sindhu had asserted: “Let the matter be re-listed as and when the pronouncement is made by the Supreme Court. Interim orders in respective cases will continue.”

The developments had taken place during the hearing of a petition filed against Panjab University and other respondents by Yatin Mehta and other petitioners. The petitioners were seeking the quashing of orders and notifications issued between May 26 and June 19, whereby final-year students were directed to appear for their last-semester examination. Their counsel had referred to notification dated June 19 before submitting that the university was to conduct the final semester examinations in July. He had also referred to the judgment passed by the Delhi High Court before contending that guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission and the Ministries were unanimous that there was no compulsion on the university to conduct the final-year examinations.