New Delhi: Distance-mode engineering diploma holders from four errant deemed universities will not have to take any special test to validate their certificates, the technical education regulator has clarified.

Earlier, the All India Council of Technical Education had said that both the diploma (engineering) and BTech holders from these institutions, who had enrolled in distance-mode courses between 2001 and 2005, would have to sit the Supreme Court-ordained test.

Council chairman Anil Sahasrabuddhe told The Telegraph on Tuesday that the Supreme Court had now clarified that its order applied only to BTech degree holders and not to the diploma holders.

A special test will be held in May-June for the 2001-to-2005-batch distance-mode BTech degree holders from Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Institute of Advanced Studies in Education (Rajasthan), Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation (Tamil Nadu) and Allahabad Agriculture Research Institute.

The apex court had in November suspended the degrees of the distance-mode BTech holders (enrolled between 2001 and 2005) from these four institutions on the ground that the regulator did not allow BTech and MTech courses in the distance mode.

It cancelled altogether the engineering degrees granted by these institutions to students who had enrolled after 2005.

A human resource development ministry official said that Monday's apex court clarification meant that diplomas in engineering in the distance mode were valid.

Several affected engineers, working in various offices, had approached the apex court seeking clarifications on its November order.

Some of them had questioned the regulator's decision asking the diploma holders too to take the special test.

The bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Uday Umesh Lalit clarified that the diploma holders need not take the test.

It also heard petitions seeking that the suspension of degrees be made effective after the results of the special test are declared, for suspension before that would jeopardise their current jobs.

The court allowed the petitioners to retain their degrees and all the advantages in employment till one month after the results of the special test or July 31, whichever was earlier.