Karnataka HC Directs UGC To Consider NLSIU's Request For Approval To Two Courses [Read Judgment]

The Karnataka High Court has directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to consider a representation made by National Law School of India University, Bangalore (NLSIU) seeking approval to offer two courses, Post Graduate Diploma in Consumer Law and Practice (PGDCLP) and Post Graduate Diploma in Cyber Law and Cyber Forensics (PGDCLCF).

Justice R Devdas directed UGC to in three months decide on the representation made by the top law school from the date of receipt of the order, passed on August 1. NLSIU had moved the court after UGC, while granting approval to start a new program 'Master of Business Law', by communicated dated August 9, 2016, stated that approval for the post graduate program would be considered at a later stage.

Senior Advocate Aditya Sondhi appearing for NLSIU argued that at the instance of Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India and Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Government of India, decided to offer the courses in addition to other courses. A letter was earlier written to Indira Gandhi National Open University, (IGNOU), which earlier had jurisdiction of granting approval. Subsequently, jurisdiction came to be vested with UGC. Thus fresh application was made for approval.

During the hearing, counsel for UGC submitted that relevant portion in the order in the impugned communication dated August 9, 2016, is "not happily worded". The court though said "Nevertheless when the University has filed the petition seeking to quash the communication, in all fairness respondent should have communicated or submitted before this court that the application filed by the university is still under consideration, if permitted UGC shall pass appropriate orders. The court thus directed "UGC to consider the representation dated April 28, 2016 made by the university, for the academic year, 2016-17 and onwards.

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