HC quashes Palampur farm varsity's terms on self-financing scheme

Farm varsity ruling on SFS quashed

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, March 31

The HP High Court today quashed the condition mentioned in the admission brochure of CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, whereby it has notified that if a candidate has not opted for self-financing scheme (SFS) at the time of filling online application form, his/her candidature for SFS will not be considered at subsequent stage for admission in undergraduate courses.

While quashing this condition, Justice Vivek Singh Thakur observed: “The main object of the entire exercise undertaken by educational institutions for admitting students is to ensure admissions on the basis of merit. There may be a case where a candidate having higher merit than candidates who have applied for SFS seat initially may not get admission against normal seat and may be desirous to apply for SFS seat for probability of his or her admission for having higher merit, in such eventuality allowing such candidate to opt for SFS seat shall definitely ensure admission of some meritorious candidate against SFS also. Whereas disallowing such candidates to exercise such option, may be at a later stage, may lead to admission of a candidate having lower merit at the cost of available meritorious candidate.”

The court passed this judgment on a petition filed by a student namely Satakshi Sharma challenging the above said condition. Petitioner, being aggrieved by not permitting to opt for self-financing scheme in the second round of counselling, has approached the court with prayer for quashing of the condition and direction to the university to allow the petitioner to opt for SFS category during second round of counselling and to offer admission to her under the SFS category on the basis of 109 marks scored by her as in the said category candidate having marks lesser than petitioner had already been admitted.

While disposing of the petition, the court further directed the university to admit the candidates/students against available vacant seats, as on date, in all categories, by resorting to the method prescribed for providing opportunity to the candidates, by offering available seats in order of merit, as per their entitlement, irrespective of the fact whether they have been admitted in SFS category or not. The court further directed that the aforesaid exercise would be undertaken by the University on or before April 6.