- (1.) This petition seeks a direction for treating the petitioner liable for admission to M.Tech (Information Technology) in Guru Nanak Dev University, respondent No. 1.
(2.) Case of the petitioner is that she was enrolled with the Principal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed University) for Master of Information Technology (MIT) Degree. On 2004, she was given consolidated statement of marks and was degree in MIT. Thereafter, the petitioner applied for admission to M.Tech. (Information Technology). Though, she was allowed to take entrance test, she has not been treated to be eligible, though she obtained third rank in overall merit under the general category. According to the petitioner, respondent No. 1 University has not approved MIT (Under Distance Education) Degree of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed University) as equivalent to MIT Degree of respondent No. 1 University. Reference has been made to the prospectus for the year 2007 laying down the eligibility conditions to be as under "M. Tech. (IT) B.Tech in any branch of Engineering/Technology from Guru Nanak Dev University with atleast 60% marks in aggregate or any other examination recognised as equivalent thereto, Or MCA or equivalent of Guru Nanak Dev University or any other examination equivalent thereto with atleast 60% marks in aggregate; Or MA/M.Sc. in Computer Science/Information Technology/Mathematics/Statistics/Physics/Operations Research from Guru Nanak Dev University or any other examination recognised as equivalent thereto with atleast 55% marks in aggregate. Admission will be made exclusively on the basis of the merit of the candidate in the entrance Test to be conducted by the Head of the department." It was further stated that MIT Degree was equal to M.Sc as per circular of the UGC dated 1.6.2001, Annexure P.3. The said circular is as under : "The Commission having examined and deliberated the issue in detail, resolved that the degrees-BIS, BIT, MIS and MIT be not specified by the Commission and as such no University be allowed to award a degree with nomenclature of BIS (Bachelor of Information Science/Systems), BIT (Bachelor of Information Technology), MIS (Master of Information Sciences/Systems and MIT (Master of Information Technology). The Commission further resolved that the universities instead be advised to award degree of B.Sc and M.Sc respectively of three and two year duration in place of BIS/BIT and MIS/MIT which may well be in subjects of Information Science/systems and Information Technology. In view of the interests of the students already pursing the degrees of BIS, BIT, MIS and MIT, the Commission decided to permit recognition of BIS, BIT, MIS and MIT only to the already enrolled students in these degrees upto the last academic session i.e. 200-2001 and directed that henceforth, no new enrolment in any University be made in the degrees of BIS, BIT, MIS and MIT."
(3.) The Equivalence Committee recommended that the petitioner be treated as equivalent to the qualification for eligibility for M. Tech. admission, which was also approved by the Dean, Academic Affaris on 23.6.2007, Annexure P. 4 but later, the petitioner was not considered to be eligible vide Annexure P. 9 dated 11.7.2007. The note dated 23.6.2007 is as under : "The case of equivalence of MIT (3 years) Course of Maniple Academy of Higher Education was cleared by the Equivalence Committee and the file is yet to be approved by the Vice Chancellor. If allowed, the candidate can be provisionally allowed to appear in the enterance test at her own risk and responsibility subject to the orders of the Vice Chancellor. Submitted please. Dean, Academic Affairs. Sd/- 23.6.2004 HOD. Approved. Sd/- 23.6.2004.";