GO on admissions in private engineering colleges struck down

By Our Legal Correspondent

HYDERABAD, FEB. 3. Mr. Justice V.V.S. Rao of the A.P. High Court has declared that the State Government cannot interfere when the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has accorded permission to increase the intake and introduce new courses.

The judge permitted four private engineering colleges to make admissions in first year of B.Tech course on the basis of the ranks obtained in the EAMCET-99.

Mr. Justice Rao was allowing several writ petitions filed by the four private engineering colleges and a student complaining that though the AICTE had accorded permission, the State Government has interfering in the matter. Madanapalle Institute for Technology and Science, Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering and Technology, Chittoor, SSJ Engineering College, Tirumalayapalley, Mahabubnagar, and PRR Memorial Engineering College, Mahabubnagar district, were permitted by the AICTE to introduce new course and admit more students in the present courses, with effect from the academic year 1999-2000. The State Government issued a GO declaring that the AICTE permission can be given effect from the academic year 2000- 2001. This was challenged by the colleges.

Mr. Justice Rao held that the authority and power to direct a private engineering college to introduce a new course or to make additional intake absolutely vests with the AICTE and the State Government had no such power. He struck down the GO as unconstitutional, and declared that it cannot be sustained. He did not agree with the contention of the State Government that permitting the admissions now would result in chaos. The Commissioner for Technical Education was directed to pay Rs. 5,000 to the petitioner.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Regional
Previous : Internet access for all districts
Next     : Two naxalites killed