HC directs M'lore varsity to issue degree certificates to 13 students

The students of St Aloysius College had approached HC as varsity did not issue them certificates

As many as 13 post graduate students of St Aloysius College had appraoched the court after the Mangalore university refused to issue degree certificates to them citing the reason that the College had not paid the students’ registration fee to the university.

According to a press release issued by St Aloysius College Alumni Association (SACAA) President Edmund Frank, the High Court has strongly felt that the pending issue between the Mangalore University and the College should not come in the way of the future of students.

Background

As the College did not pay the registration fee of Rs 39,11,680 to the university citing the reason that the fee was discriminatory and exorbitant, the University decided not to consider the students of St Aloysius as the students of Mangalore university.

Hence, the College filed a writ petition in the High Court against Mangalore University questioning the move of the Mangalore university. The order dated June 18 noted that “because of the litigation between the petitioner (St Aloysius College) and the respondent (Mangalore University), the students (the 13 students who approached the court) shall not be put to hardship.”

The order further stated that “As the students have completed the post graduate course and have been declared pass, and if the degree certificates are not disbursed to the successful students, then their life will be ruined and consequently, the interest of the nation will suffer.”

The order also stated that in case if the petitioner (St Aloysius College) fails in the writ petition, then the petitioner is liable to pay the amount as directed by the Mangalore University.

The College principal’s objection against payment of registration fee was that the university does not lend any service to any autonomous college, even as the college has all the statutory bodies (powers), except issuing degree certificates.

‘Degree to only 13 students’

Interestingly, as per the order, the High Court has directed the Mangalore University to issue degree certificates to only those students who have approached the court. They are: Amith P Rao, Lanwin Lobo, Disha, Radheshyam Singh, Sriharsha V, Vinitha Preethi Menezes, Ranjini Suvarna, Akshatha N, Pradeep, Ramprasad Ashok, Aigin Varghese, Vishwas Astroy D’Souza and Wilson Benjamin D’Mello.

When contacted, St Aloysius College (Autonomous) Registrar Prof A M Narahari said that the College would collect signatures of all the affected students and approach the court. According to an expert, as per a new rule, the Court ruling will be applicable to only those persons who approach the court. Accordingly, all the students will get the degree certificates, provided they approach the court.

The students who have been denied degree certificates include 116 from MBA, 59 from MSW, 28 from MSc (Analytical Chemistry), 7 from MSc (Software Technology), 30 from MSc (Bio Technology) and 27 from MSc (Bioinformatics).

Meanwhile, when contacted, Mangalore University Vice Chancellor Prof T C Shivshankar Murthy said that he is yet to get the copy of the High Court order. “I will comment after receiving the order copy,” he said.

As per the rule, with regard to the autonomous colleges, the university issues the degree certificates in the name of the respective autonomous college while the college issues only the marks cards.