- (1.) Unaided Private Colleges conducting B.Ed.Courses in the State of Punjab statedly have formed an Association. Petitioner Nos.1 to 3 are Association of Colleges conducting B.Ed.Courses in the State of Punjab and have got themselves registered under the Societies Registration Act. It is stated that all the Colleges are members of petitioner Nos.1 to 3 Association and are affiliated to the respondent-Universities. Petitioner No.4 is a Federation comprising of the Association-petitioner Nos.1 to 3 and is also registered under the Societies of Registration Act. The petitioners have filed this writ petition on behalf of all the unaided private colleges conducting B.Ed.courses to challenge the order passed by the respondents fixing the fee at Rs. 40,000/- per student per year on the ground that this is arbitrarily fixed and, hence, the present writ petition.
(2.) Though there is no objection raised by the respondents about the petitioners' right to invoke writ jurisdiction of this court in its representative capacity on behalf of all B.Ed.Colleges, yet there may be some doubts in this regard, but leaving this aspect aside, the challenge raised in the petition is being dealt with without going into this aspect of the issue.
(3.) The petitioners have challenged the orders (Annexures P- 2 and P-3) issued by Panjab University and Punjab Government, Higher Education, Department, respectively, fixing Rs. 40,000/- as a fee to be charged by Self-financed B.Ed.Colleges for session 2010-11. The session concededly is over and the issue, therefore, seems academic in nature. Yet the counsel has pressed hard his plea and, thus, it may call for adjudication.;