P.Suganya, v. The Secretary To Government Of
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE OF MADRAS
DATED : 28.11.2024
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE BATTU DEVANAND and WMP.Nos.19378 of 2018 & 13911 of 2019 P.Suganya ...
Petitioner Vs 1.The Secretary to Government of Tamil Nadu Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms(R), Secretariat, Chennai - 600 009.
2.The Secretary to Government of Tamil Nadu, Department of Higher Education, Secretariat, Chennai - 600 009.
3.The Chairman, Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, Frazer Bridge road, VOC Nagar, Chennai - 600 003.
4.Anna University, Represented by its Vice Chancellor, Guindy, Chennai - 600 032.
...
Respondents 1/7
PRAYER: The writ petition has been filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for issuance of a writ of Certiorarified Mandamus calling for the records relating to the impugned Notification vide No.16/2017 dated 05.07.2017 issued by the Third Respondent and quash the clause 6(B) Note (ii) and Annexure (i) of the Notification and consequentially directing the First Respondent to form an expert committee as per the G.O.Ms.No.441 dated 20.12.1993 in order to issue an Equivalent Certificate by way of G.O.for the course:"AGRICULTURAL AND IRRIGATION ENGINEERING COURSE" offered by the Anna University as equivalet to B.Tec., Agricultural Engineering or B.Sc., Agricultural Engineering Course or B.E., Agriculture Engineering.
For Petitioner ... Ms.S.Deepika For Respondent ... Mr.L.S.M.Hasan Fizal No.1 Additional Government Pleader For Respondent ... Mr.C.Jayaprakash No.2 Government Advocate For Respondent ... Mr.I.Abrar Mohamed Abdullah No.3 Senior Counsel For Respondent ... Mr.V.Meenakshi Sundaram No.4
ORDER
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This writ petition has been filed to call for the records relating to the impugned Notification vide No.16/2017 dated 05.07.2017 issued by the Third Respondent and quash the clause 6(B) Note (ii) and Annexure (i) of the Notification and consequentially directing the First Respondent to form an expert committee as per the G.O.Ms.No.441 dated 20.12.1993 in order to issue an Equivalent Certificate by way of G.O.for the course:"AGRICULTURAL AND IRRIGATION ENGINEERING COURSE" offered by the Anna University as equivalet to B.Tec., Agricultural Engineering or B.Sc., Agricultural Engineering Course or B.E., Agriculture Engineering.
2.The only issue is considered in this writ petition is, whether B.E (Agricultural and Irrigation Engineering) degree offered by the Anna University is equivalent to B.Tech (Agricultural Engineering) degree offered by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University or not. 3.Admittedly, the petitioner possessed B.E. (Agricultural and 3/7
Irrigation Engineering) Degree. Whether these two degrees are equivalent or not is not considered in the G.O.(Ms).No.271, Higher Education (J1) Department, dated 03.12.2019. 4.In view of the same, during the pendency of this writ petition, this Court by its order dated 10.09.2024 directed the second respondent to submit clarification in consultation with the Expert Committee constituted in this regard, whether the B.E. (Agricultural and Irrigation Engineering) degree offered by the Anna University is equivalent to B.Tech (Agricultural Engineering) degree offered by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University or not.
5.In response to the same, the learned Government Advocate appearing for the respondent No.2 has placed a copy of G.O.(Ms).No.208, Higher Education (J1) Department, dated 27.11.2024. 6.On perusal of the abovesaid G.O., it appears that the 29th 4/7
Equivalence Committee, in its meeting held on 20.11.2024, passed a resolution stating that these two degrees are not equivalent. A copy of the said G.O. is placed on record.
7.In view of the above factual position, as the competent authority has decided these two degrees are not equivalent, in the considered opinion of this Court, nothing survives in the present writ petition for further adjudication and accordingly, it is liable to be dismissed. 8.For the above reasons, this writ petition is dismissed. However, it is open to the petitioner to challenge the G.O.(Ms).No.208, Higher Education (J1) Department, 27.11.2024, if so aggrieved and advised in proper forum in accordance with law. No costs. Consequently, the connected miscellaneous petitions are closed. Internet:Yes/No 28.11.2024 Index:Yes/No sms To 1.The Secretary to Government of Tamil Nadu Department of Personnel and 5/7
Administrative Reforms(R), Secretariat, Chennai - 600 009.
2.The Secretary to Government of Tamil Nadu, Department of Higher Education, Secretariat, Chennai - 600 009.
3.The Chairman, Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, Frazer Bridge road, VOC Nagar, Chennai - 600 003.
4.Anna University, Represented by its Vice Chancellor, Guindy, Chennai - 600 032.
BATTU DEVANAND,J.
sms 6/7
and WMP.Nos.19378 of 2018 & 13911 of 2019 28.11.2024 7/7