The Supreme Court has declared all engineering degrees secured through correspondence from 2001 invalid because the University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education had not approved the courses.
- Neither the UGC nor the AICTE had approved courses providing technical education like engineering and computer science, despite this several deemed Universities have been offering the course to students over the last 16 years. These Universities included JRN Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Institute of Advanced Studies in Education in Rajasthan, Allahabad Agricultural Institute and Vinayaka Missions Research Foundation in Tamil Nadu. The Universities were initially given course approval by the Distance Education Council, however the Court found this approval to be illegal in 2005.
- Since the students were under the false impression that the course was DEC approved till 2005, SC has opened a small window of opportunity for these students by allowing them another chance to get a valid degree. The students of batch 2001-2005 will be allowed to write an exam which the AICTE will devise.
- These students will be allowed two attempts to clear the exam within a stipulated time. Failing which, there degrees will be cancelled.
- Those students who do not wish to exercise the option, shall be refunded entire money deposited by them towards tuition fee and other charges within one month of the exercise of such option.
- However, the SC spares no sympathy for students who took up the course post 2005 because they were fully aware that the court had deemed the degrees illegal. “Policy Statements as well as warnings issued from time to time were absolutely clear” with regard to the lack of sanction to such Courses...." the Court observed.
- Besides the degree, the candidate also stands to lose any benefit they might have acquired in the course of their professional lives as a result of the degree such as promotions or any other advancement in career.
- However, any monetary benefit acquired by the candidate will not be recovered by the employer.
- The Court has strictly warned all deemed Universities from offering these courses unless they get specific approval from the UGC and the AICTE.
