R.K.MERATHIA, J. - (1.) AS these cases are similar, they were heard together and are being disposed off by this common judgment.
(2.) THE petitioners have prayed for a direction upon the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India, New Delhi to immediately issue the letter of extension to the State of Jharkhand and to the concerned institutes to enable them to take admission in their respective allotted Engineering Colleges pursuant to their selection in the Jharkhand Combined Entrance Competitive Examination for engineering for the year, 2002. The petitioners' case in short is that they cannot be made to suffer for no fault on their part. Their career cannot be jeopardized on account of laches on the part of one or the other respondent.
(3.) THE petitioners ranked high in the merit list aspired for admission into different Regional Engineering Colleges spread throughout the country. The counselling was to begin from 13th November, 2002. This date was postponed as the Ministry of Science and Technology, State of Jharkhand could not obtain the permission of Ministry of HRD, Government of India for extension of the date of admission to the Regional Engineering Colleges inside and outside the State of Jharkhand. The counselling was postponed from time to time when finally counselling started on 27th November, 2002 it was stayed in view of an order of Hon'ble Patna High Court dated 27.11.2002, passed in C.W.J.C. No. 11555/ 2002. The stay was with regard to the filling of the vacancies of various seats in the institutes against the Jharkhand quota. The said writ petition was finally disposed off on 13th December, 2002, amended by order dated 20th December, 2002, with a direction to the concerned respondents to start the counselling and complete the selection process within three weeks. The Patna High Court also extended the last date of admission in the colleges, for the State of Jharkhand and other States, till 17th January, 2003. It may be noticed here that the said order was passed after hearing all the parties including learned counsel for the Union of India. The relevant portions of the said order is as follows : - - '.......The only difficulty which has been raised is that the date of counselling has expired and secondly, that the date of admission in the Regional Engineering Colleges of the State of Jharkhand and other States have also closed. In the special facts of the case, this Court with the consent of the parties, directs that the counselling be started forthwith and the process of selection be completed within a period of three weeks from today i.e, latest by 7th January, 2003. It is further directed that the last date of admission in the aforesaid colleges be extended till 17th January, 2003. Any interim order passed earlier merges in the present order and automatically stands vacated.' ;