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IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION

WRIT PETITION (C) NO.388 OF 2017

FOUNDATION FOR ORGANISATIONAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION “FORE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT”       PETITIONER(S)

                               VERSUS ALL INDIA COUNCIL FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION (AICTE)                    RESPONDENT(S)

O R D E R

Heard learned counsel for the parties.

The present writ petition raises the issue concerning the  Post  Graduate  Diploma  in  Business  Management- International  Business  (PGDM-IB)  program.   By  means  of letter  dated  10.04.2017,  the  respondent  sanctioned  the petitioner to increase its intake in the PGDM-IB program by 60 students.  Thus, the total seats available in the PGDM-IB  program  became  120  (60  seats  were  already sanctioned  since  2007).   The  petitioner  accordingly notified its intake capacity of 120 seats in the PGDM-IB course and on this basis started accepting fee and making admissions to the said course.  By means of corrigendum letter  dated  21.04.2017  the  respondent  withdrew  the increased intake of 60 seats thereby reducing the capacity to 60 seats instead of 120 seats.   

From the aforesaid it is clear that the respondents were satisfied with the fulfillment of requirements by the petitioner insofar as issue of increase of seats in the aforesaid program is concerned and it is after the said satisfaction that the number of seats were increased from 60 to 120.

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The reason for issuing the corrigendum letter dated 21.04.2017 thereby withdrawing increase in intake was that there  was  no  accreditation  by  the  National  Board  of Accreditation.   However,  the  fact  remains  that  the petitioner institution has been duly accredited by the National  Board  of  Accreditation.   This  accreditation elapsed  and  the  petitioner  had  well  within  the  time applied for renewal.  Thereafter, it is the National Board of  Accreditation  which  took  some  time  in  giving  this renewal  which  has  now  been  received  on  18.05.2017. Therefore,  in  the  aforesaid  circumstances  there  is  no reason why not to give  the benefit of increase in seats more  so  when  the  petitioner  institution  has  already admitted legitimate students against the said increase.   

This  writ  petition  is  accordingly  allowed;  the corrigendum letter dated 21.04.2017 is set aside and the earlier letter dated 10.04.2017 by which increase in seats was granted is restored.

......................J.                                         [A.K.SIKRI]

......................J.                                         [DEEPAK GUPTA]

NEW DELHI, MAY 30, 2017.

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ITEM NO.5                 COURT NO.4               SECTION X                S U P R E M E  C O U R T  O F  I N D I A

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS                        

WRIT PETITION (C) No.388 of 2017

FOUNDATION FOR ORGANISATIONAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION “FORE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT”            PETITIONER(S)                                 VERSUS ALL INDIA COUNCIL FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION (AICTE)                      RESPONDENT(S) Date : 30/05/2017 This petition was called on for hearing today. CORAM :           HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE A.K. SIKRI          HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE DEEPAK GUPTA

[VACATION BENCH] For Petitioner(s)                      Mr.Jayant Bhushan, Sr.Adv.

Mr.M.Shoeb Alam, Adv.  Mr.R.K.Joshi, Adv.  Mr.Talha A. Rehman, Adv.  Mr.Saurabh Joshi, Adv.  Ms.Fauzia Shakil, Adv.  Mr.Ujjwal Singh, Adv.  Mr.Mojahid Karim Khan, Adv.

For Respondent(s)  Mr.Anil Soni, Adv.

                                                   UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following                              O R D E R

The writ petition is allowed in terms of the signed order.

     (Ashok Raj Singh)          (Mala Kumari Sharma)            Court Master           Court Master

(Signed Order is placed in the file)