Himachal Pradesh University decision not to hold admission test illegal: High Court

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, January 8

The Himachal Pradesh High Court today declared the HP University’s decision of not holding entrance tests for admission to various undergraduate/postgraduate courses as arbitrary and illegal.

A Division Bench of Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua said, “Although we have held the action of university illegal, yet, considering the interest of students at large, who have already been admitted and taking classes for the past two months… we refrain from quashing their admissions.”

The Bench asked the university to place the matter before its executive council within a week. The executive council would take appropriate decision on all aspects of the case and act against erring officials in three weeks, it said.

Shivam Thakur, a student, had moved the court, claiming the admission process undertaken by the university was in violation of the UGC guidelines. There was no justifiable reason for the university to skip entrance tests, he claimed.

The university counsel maintained the issue of entrance tests was deliberated upon by the executive panel. The panel did not find it proper to hold entrance tests for admission to all entrance-based courses due to the Covid-19 pandemic.