PREM SHANKER ASOPA, J. - (1.) BY these writ petitions, the petitioners are challenging the withholding of recognition of S.T.C./B.Ed. by the National Council for Teachers Education (in short 'N.C.T.E.').
(2.) OUT of the aforesaid writ petitions, in S.B.C.W.P. No. 12050/2008 Neelkanth Education Society v. N.C.T.E. special leave petition was filed against the interim order dated 27.11.2008 wherein the Supreme Court on 30.1.2009 requested the High Court to dispose of the writ petition as expeditiously as possible and it was directed that pending disposal of the same, the interim order passed by the High Court shall not be given effect to. In view of the above, all the connected cases have been clubbed together and are being decided together.
(3.) BY all these writ petitions, the petitioners are seeking appropriate writ, order or direction for release of the recognition order for the year 2008 -2009 which was withheld by the respondent N.C.T.E. vide its meeting dated 20 -21st September, 2008 on the ground of some objections of minor nature whereas recognition orders were issued in respect of 80 colleges. The petitioners have prayed for issuance of mandamus to release the recognition order.;