Viney Mittal, J. - (1.) Written statement on behalf of respondents No.1 and 2 has been filed in court today. The same is taken on record. A copy thereof has been handed over to the learned counsel for the petitioners.
(2.) The petitioners have approached this court for quashing Clause 1.1 of the Information Brochure issued by the Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology,Patiala,( hereinafter referred to as the respondent-Institute) respondents No.1 and 2 whereby the State quota seats have been reduced from 85%( as in the previous year) to 50% and still further the aforesaid 50% reserved seats have been reserved only for the candidates who have passed their qualifying examination ( 10+2 or equivalent) from he Universities/Boards/Schools located in the State of Punjab only. The specific grievance is that the eligibility of the candidates who have passed the aforesaid examination from Union Territory, Chandigarh, which was past practice in the Session year 2005-06 has been changed. The aforesaid students belonging to Union Territory,Chandigarh have not been included for consideration in the aforesaid 50% State quota seats.
(3.) The petitioners have maintained that they had appeared in their qualifying examination held in the month of March,2006 from various institutions in Union Territory, Chandigarh and, as such, changing of eligibility criteria for the session 2006-07 by the respondent-Institute( a deemed University) at this late stage, has caused a serious prejudice to the petitioners who have become ineligible for consideration for the reserved quota seats.;