Respond after vacation: HC to UGC on Annamalai varsity’s petition

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has ordered the University Grants Commission (UGC) to file its response after the vacation on a petition filed by the Annamalai University.

The varsity challenged the UGC’s public notice (issued on March 23) which declared that the former had not received permission to offer Open and Distance Education (ODE) Learning programmes.

Justice R Mahadevan passed the direction on hearing the petition filed by the varsity’s registrar, who submitted that Annamalai University had been offering distance learning programmes since 1978, and also renewing permission every year.

“The UGC issued a notice stating that it has not approved the distance education programmes offered by the University from 2014-to 2015,” the petitioner submitted.

The registrar also maintained that the varsity had maintained status quo on applications for renewal despite a direction of the Madras HC that all admissions made by the University on Distance Education Program (DEP) for centres outside the territorial jurisdiction will depend on the final decision of the pending appeal.

Annamalai University further submitted that it had sent a representation to the UGC on March 30 to withdraw its notice citing the pending appeals, but the commission had not taken a call.

Sudha, standing counsel for the Union government, submitted that she needed to receive instructions from the UGC. On recording the submissions, the bench adjourned the matter to June.