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| Orissa High Court |
Cuttack, April 21: Orissa High Court has imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), a private engineering college in Berhampur, for admitting seven student illegally in its BTech course during 2012-2013.
The court imposed the penalty because the institute had admitted the students against seven students, who were selected through OJEE but had not taken admission.
Keeping in mind the future of the students, the court directed the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) to regularise their admission and issue registration numbers on payment of the fine by the college.
“The judgment is significant as imposition of exemplary costs on NIST is the first instance in which the Orissa High Court has imposed penalty on a technical institution for illegal admission,” OJEE counsel Subir Palit told The Telegraph today.
The seven students had qualified in the entrance test conducted by OJEE committee for 2012 and All-India Engineering Entrance Examination, 2012. After closure of second round of counselling of OJEE, seats in various private engineering colleges remained vacant because some students did not take admission. The OJEE did not include the vacant seats of NIST for the third round of counselling.
The seven students, who had taken admission, had not participated in the third round of counselling but took admission in B.Tech course against the vacant seats in NIST.
After the state government decided not to regularise their admission, the students went to the high court. The single judge bench of Justice B.N. Mohapatra upheld the state government’s decision and later, the seven students went on an appeal. The division bench of Chief Justice A.K. Goel and Justice A.K. Rath ruled that their admissions were invalid.
“But, then they are rank card holders. They have pursued their studies in the college. Keeping in mind the future of the students, we take a lenient view and direct the university to regularise their admission and issue registration numbers.”
