Amit Educational And Social Welfare Society (Regd.) And ANR. v. University Grants Commission

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

+ W.P.(C) 3049/2019 AMIT EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL WELFARE SOCIETY (REGD.) & ANR ..... Petitioner Through Mr Mithilesh Kumar, Mr Dharmender Verma, Mr Ankit Kanwar, Advocates.

versus UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION ..... Respondents Through Mr Apoorv Kurup, Mr Avanish Rathi, Advocates.

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VIBHU BAKHRU

O R D E R

% 01.04.2019 1.

The petitioners have filed the present petition impugning an order dated 13.12.2018/17.12.2018, passed by the Standing Committee of the respondent, University Grants Commission (UGC). Petitioner no.1 is essentially aggrieved by the exclusion of the journals published by it, from the list of the UGC approved journals. The said journals have been excluded on account of certain deficiencies as noticed in the sheets annexed to the impugned order. Admittedly, the said defects were not put to the petitioner at the relevant time.

2.

The journals published by the petitioner had been removed from the list of approved journals and this had led the petitioner to file a W.P. (C) No. 5570/2018. The said writ petition was disposed of by an order dated 23.05.2018, whereby the UGC was directed to issue a show cause notice

indicating therein the specific deficiencies on account of which the journals had been removed from the list of approved journals. Although, a show cause notice in compliance with the aforesaid order was issued, however, the plain reading of the same indicates that it is cryptic. The deficiencies, as observed in the sheet annexed to the impugned order, are not mentioned in the show cause notice.

3.

In view of the above, the matter is remanded to the UGC to consider it afresh. The petitioner may file its response to the said deficiencies within a period of two weeks, from today. The UGC shall consider the same and pass a speaking order within a period of four weeks, thereafter, after affording the petitioner an opportunity to be heard.

4.

The petition is disposed of in the aforesaid terms. VIBHU BAKHRU, J APRIL 01, 2019 pkv