The Madras High Court Bench here has ordered Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MSU) in Tirunelveli not to approve the admission of 17 students by one of its overseas study centre in United Arab Emirates during the academic year 2011-12 and not to publish results of the annual examinations written by them on the basis of interim orders passed by the court.
Justice S. Nagamuthu passed the order while disposing of a writ petition filed by M. Sadasivan who had entered into an agreement with MSU on June 11, 2010 for offering various courses under the Distance Education Programme to non-resident Indians in Ras Al Khaimah, part of UAE. The petitioner had admitted three students in B.Com., B.B.A. and B.C.A., courses in the academic year 2010-11.
In the subsequent academic year, he admitted eight students in B.Com course, one student in B.B.A. and eight more students in M.B.A. programme.
Within months after their admission, MSU terminated the agreement with the petitioner on the basis of two Supreme Court rulings which expressed concern over universities establishing study centres beyond their territorial jurisdiction.
The university also did not allow the 20 students enrolled by the petitioner to participate in the examinations.
Hence, the petitioner had approached the court with the present writ petition in 2012 and obtained periodical interim orders permitting the 20 students to write the examinations on condition that their results would not be published until the final disposal of the case.
Taking up the case for final disposal now, Mr. Justice Nagamuthu said that the three students who were admitted in 2010-11 alone could be allowed to complete their courses and obtain certificates since similarly placed students had been granted such relief by the High Court in another case.
The admission of the rest of the 17 students could not be held to be valid.
Stating that it was up to the petitioner to seek legal remedy for loss of reputation and mental agony due to sudden termination of the agreement, the judge said: “So far as the 17 students are concerned, I have to say that they have liberty to work out their remedies for damages against the petitioner or from the university if they are so advised and if they have got such a legal right.”