Supreme Court extends online counselling schedule for IP varsity

The Supreme Court on Thursday extended till October 21 for Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIU) to conduct online counselling to fill about 6,000 seats of B Tech and M Tech and other courses.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and U U Lalit said it granted the concession noting the ‘larger public interest’ but slammed the university authorities for failing to adhere to
the time schedule fixed by the apex court as well as All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for academic session.

“The authorities who are in charge of giving approval, preparing syllabus, imparting education and carrying on such other activities, are required to behave with responsibility,” the bench said.

 “Lack of concern is only indicative of the beginning of destruction. That cannot be allowed to occur. Therefore, we caution the AICTE and the University to see to it that things are done on time following the fixed time schedule,” the bench added.

As per the schedule, the academic session has to begin from August 1 and classes to start from August 20.

 Hearing a different matter, a four-Judge bench had earlier on May 5, this year clarified that prior approval of AICTE was compulsory and mandatory for conduct of technical course including MBA/management course by exiting affiliated technical college
and also including technical college for the academic year 2014-15.

However, the court said that since question mark was raised over the authority of AICTE and there was also bifurcation of the state of Andhra Pradesh, it could not take myopic view of the situation.

“The students, who would be taking admissions subject to our order, be put in one section in the allotted colleges so that they can attend classes for an extra hour,” the bench said in the instant case.

“That apart their holidays shall be curtailed as per the directions of the University. An undertaking to the said effect can be taken from the students. Every student shall have the requisite 75 per cent attendance of the original number of classes,” the bench said.
“All concerned must

remember that education charters the way where a civilized man slaughters his prejudices. Any education properly imparted is a constant allurement to learn,” the bench observed.

“It is inconceivable that the authorities who are in charge of controlling the sphere of
 education to behave like errant knights justifying their own fanciful deeds,” the bench said.