<p>"The university should file an affidavit regarding the criteria required for pursuing PhD in the condition the applicant is working," a bench comprising chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said directing DU to file the affidavit by September 27.<br /><br />The direction of the court came on a plea of Metropolitan Magistrate Twinkle Wadhwa who has challenged the regulation of the university that allows its teachers to pursue a PhD without taking study leave but prohibits a judicial officer from doing the same.<br /><br />Wadhwa's counsel said it was arbitrary to prohibit a magistrate from pursuing a PhD degree who was ready to devote full time to the course while she is in service.<br /><br />However, the university, citing the regulations of the University Grant Commission (UGC), said since PhD is a full- time course, a student interested in pursuing it would have to take study leave to fully concentrate on the course.<br /><br />Earlier, the UGC had defended the rule saying that it was meant for maintaining the academic standard.</p>.<p>Wadhwa filed the petition after Delhi University (DU) refused to allow her to pursue a PhD course as she was employed as a Metropolitan Magistrate. While declining the permission, DU had asked her to take study leave for two years for doing so.<br /><br />The Magistrate sought quashing the regulation and a direction to the university to consider her application for enrolment to the the PhD course.<br /><br /></p>
<p>"The university should file an affidavit regarding the criteria required for pursuing PhD in the condition the applicant is working," a bench comprising chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said directing DU to file the affidavit by September 27.<br /><br />The direction of the court came on a plea of Metropolitan Magistrate Twinkle Wadhwa who has challenged the regulation of the university that allows its teachers to pursue a PhD without taking study leave but prohibits a judicial officer from doing the same.<br /><br />Wadhwa's counsel said it was arbitrary to prohibit a magistrate from pursuing a PhD degree who was ready to devote full time to the course while she is in service.<br /><br />However, the university, citing the regulations of the University Grant Commission (UGC), said since PhD is a full- time course, a student interested in pursuing it would have to take study leave to fully concentrate on the course.<br /><br />Earlier, the UGC had defended the rule saying that it was meant for maintaining the academic standard.</p>.<p>Wadhwa filed the petition after Delhi University (DU) refused to allow her to pursue a PhD course as she was employed as a Metropolitan Magistrate. While declining the permission, DU had asked her to take study leave for two years for doing so.<br /><br />The Magistrate sought quashing the regulation and a direction to the university to consider her application for enrolment to the the PhD course.<br /><br /></p>