AICTE validates ODL engineering degrees earned over 2001-2005

NEW DELHI: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has validated the engineering degrees awarded by four deemed-to-be universities between 2001 and 2005, after testing those candidates. Earlier, the Supreme Court of India, cancelling the engineering degrees awarded to students through correspondence mode by four universities, had asked the AICTE to devise modalities to conduct an appropriate test of students, admitted over 2001-2005.

The AICTE has issued a circular stating that the AICTE and the University Grants Commission (UGC), as directed by the Supreme Court conducted the exam for four deemed to be universities in the months of June and December 2018 across India, to validate the degrees awarded by them.

“The online certificates were provided to all successful candidates, which validate the degrees awarded by the four Deemed to be Universities and as such, they are valid degrees in all respect as per the Hon'ble Supreme Court decision dated 3.11.2017,” clarifies AICTE circular.

The Supreme Court Judgment 2017

In November 2017, a bench of Supreme Court comprising Justices AK Goel and UU Lalit, while hearing a set of appeals against the Orissa High Court and Punjab and Haryana High Court decisions, in a landmark judgment restrained “all Deemed to be Universities from offering any distance education courses”. The court also pulled up the UGC for failing to regulate ‘Deemed to be Universities’ and directed the body take necessary steps. The SC bench also ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry to identify government officials who granted permissions to deemed universities against the policy statement.

The SC while giving relief to students who were admitted between 2001-2005, annulled the engineering degrees awarded through correspondence mode after 2005. The four deemed Universities which came under the question were, JRN Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Institute of Advanced Studies in Education in Rajasthan, Allahabad Agricultural Institute and Vinayaka Mission Research Foundation in Tamil Nadu. The apex court also cancelled there engineering degrees awarded to students through correspondence course by these universities.

However, the court also directed the AICTE to devise the modalities to conduct an appropriate test/tests of students who were admitted between 2001-2005. It has asked that the students should be given two chances. While delivering the judgement, the court has also directed that those students who do not wish to exercise the option of examination, shall be refunded entire money deposited by them towards tuition fee and other charges within one month of the exercise of such option.

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