SC permits to hold second phase of counselling HYDERABAD: In a relief to various private engineering colleges, which were de-recognised by the JNTUH, the Supreme Court on Wednesday permitted them to hold the second phase of counselling to make admissions for the academic year 2014-15.
About 174 private engineering colleges were earlier denied permission by the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad. A two-member bench comprising Justice Sudhansu Jyoti Mukhopadhaya and Justice SA Bobde gave the verdict on a batch of petitions filed by private engineering college managements of Telangana state seeking declaration of the action of the JNTUH illegal and a directive to the government to let them admit students.
The bench made it clear its permission shall be applicable only for Telangana state and limited to students who have not joined any college. Those who have already joined any college will not have a sliding option.
The bench ruled that the counselling process must be completed by Nov 14 and the academic year must begin from Nov 15. It also ordered that the private engineering colleges have to ensure that the first semester is completed as per the schedule of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) with 527 hours of academic work.
As per the ruling, the first semester has to be completed by Jan 15 next year and second semester shall commence from Feb 10. The bench cautioned that admissions shall be subject to the final results of inspections conducted by the JNTU.
The bench told the university not to cancel recognition on frivolous grounds but said if it found glaring lapses in maintaining facilities, the authorities must bring the same to the notice of the AICTE and then initiate the process for de-recognition. Inspection of all these colleges must be completed by Dec 31.
News Posted: 30 October, 2014
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