DHRITIMAN RAY Vs. UNIVERSITY OF DELHI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This hearing has been done through hybrid conferencing.

(2.) The present batch of writ petitions before the Court was filed by students of the University of Delhi (hereinafter "University") studying various courses who graduated in the year 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. The petitions were filed in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Their grievance was that they were unable to get original degree certificates and transcripts issued from the University. The Petitioners had approached the Court as there was unreasonable delay in the issuance of the transcripts and the degree certificates. The Petitioners had applied to various programs in foreign universities, however due to non-issuance of original documents by the University, they were unable to proceed with their further education thereby causing irreparable harm to their career prospects. On the first date of hearing, it was brought to the attention of the Court that non-issuance of the degree certificate was due to non-availability of proper quality paper and the fact that the University's contract with the printer had expired.

(3.) The Petitions were listed before the Court from time to time and various directions were passed. Owing to the deadlines within which the transcripts and certificates were needed, arrangements were directed to be made that in case of urgency, the same would be issued in the form of handwritten, digital degrees etc., wherever it was deemed necessary. The degrees and transcripts in respect of all the Petitioners and other similarly placed candidates who had sought intervention, were issued as noted in orders dtd. 7/9/2020 and 14 th December, 2020.