Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University v. Princeton College of Pharmacy
Court: High Court for State of Telangana
Bench: APARESH KUMAR SINGH,G.M. MOHIUDDIN
Judgment date:
Case summary
High Court for State of Telangana judgment dated 2026-04-09. Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University v. Princeton College of Pharmacy. Read the judgment...
Judgment text
[ 3488 ] IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD THURSDAY. THE NINTH DAY OF APRIL TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT THE HONOURABLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE SRI APARESH KUMAR SINGH AND THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE G. M. MOHIUDDIN WRIT APPEAL NO: 289 oF 2026 Writ Appeal under clause 15 of the Lefters Patent Preferred Against Order Dated 0911212025 in WP. No. 29848 ol 2025 on the file of the High Court. Between: Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Rep. by its Registrar, Kukatpally, Hyderabad. ... APPELLANT/RESPONDENT No. 'l AND 1. Princeton College of Pharmacy, (sponsored by Vagdevi Educational Society), V. ijaypuri Colony, Choudary Guda, Koreemul, Ghatkesar, Medchal-Malkajgiri District, Society Address 3-12-55, Ganesh Nagar, Ramanthapur, Hyderabad, Rep by its Secretary, Smt S. Aruna, Wo S. Prabhakar Rao, Aged about 66 vears' ... REspoNDENT/pETlrtoNER 2. University Grants Commission (UGC), Rep by its Deputy Secretary, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi- 110002. 3.
The State of Telangana, Rep by its secretary to Government, Higher Education (T. E) Department, Secretariat Buildings, Hyderabad- 500 029. 4. The Convenor, TG PGECfi- 2025, Online Counselling Centre, Osmania University, Telangana- 500 007. 5. The Convenor, TG EAPCETB- 2025, Sankethikha Vidya Bhavan, Masab Tank, Hyderabad, Telangana- 500 028. ... RESPONDENTS'RESPONDENTS l. A. NO: 1 OF 21 26 Petition uncler Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased to suspend the orders passed in W. P. No. 2984A of 2025 dafred 09. 12. 2025 pending disposal of the Writ Appeal. Gounsel for the Appellant: SRI PRABHAKAR PERI, SC FOR JNTU Counsel forthe Respondent No. I: SRI AVINASH DESA! , SENIOR COUNSEL FOR SRI K. PRADEEP REDDY Counsel for the Respondent No. 2: SRI C. LALITH KUMAR REDDY FOR SRI M. P. KASHYAP, SC FOR UGC Counsel for the Respondent No. 3: SRI K.
SHARATH, AGP FOR HIGHER EDUCATION Counsel for the Respondent No. 4: SR! MALIPEDDI SRINIVAS REDDY, SC FOR OU Counsel for the Respondent No. 5: SRI A. P. SURESH RAO, SC FOR TGEAPCETB The Court mader the following: JUDGMENT -'( IN THE HIGH COTIRT FOR THE STATE OF TELAI\IGANA AT HYDERABAI) THEHoN,BLETHECHIEFJUSTICEsRIAPARESHKTJMARSINGH AND THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE G. M. MOHIIIDDTN WRIT APPEAL No. 289 of 2026 DATED : 09. 04'2026 Between: Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Appellant AND Princeton College of PharmacY (sponsored by Vagdevi Educational Society)' b'hatkesar, Medchal-Malkaj giri District and four others ... Respondents . IUDGMENT: Sri Peri Prabhakar, learned counsel appears for appellant University Counsel represents Sri Avinash Desai, learned Senior for respondent Sri K. Pradeep Reddy, learned counsel No. 1/writ petitioner. Reddy, learned counsel appears for sri c. Lalith Kumar for university standing counsel sri M. P.
Kashyap, learned I I No'2' Grants Commission, for respondent Pleader Sri K. Sharath, learned Assistant Government respondent No. 3. for Higher Education appears for HCJ (AKTS, 2 JI & GMM, J W. A. No. 289 of 2026 2- rhe appellant university is aggrieved by the order dated 09'12. 2025 passed by the learned writ Courr in Writ petition No. 29848 of 2025 whereby it has been directed to issue notification permitting the writ petitioner col[ege to function as an aut,)nomous college and grant the privileges of autonomy from the academic year 2025-26 onwards. The learned writ court rook into consideration Regulations 4. l, 4. 2 and 4. 3 of university Grants commission (conferment of Autonomous Status upon colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards of Autonomous cofieges) Regulations, 2oz3 (for short 'ucc Regurations, 2023'), and similar instances reflecte,J in the judgments cited therein. 3. During pendency of this writ Appeal, vide order dated 13-03.
2026, the appellant university has granted autonomous status t. the writ petitioner college from the academic year 2026-27 to 2028-30 subject to ratification by the standing \ commifi:ee of the Academic Senate and Executive council with dirr:ction upon the writ petitioner college to follow the autonomous guidelines issued from time to time as per the HCJ (AK6, Jl & GMM, J 3 W. A. No. 2E9 of 2026 noffns of the appellant University. For the academic year 2025-26, the appellant University has taken a plea that the writ petitioner college approached the University Grants Commission (UGC) without first intimation or application to the appellant University in violation of the procedure and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad Regulations for the Grant of Affiliation to the Cotteges/Institutes,2020. A plea was also taken in the grounds of appeat that the fee was not deposited by the writ petitioner college. However, it appears that the fee was deposited on 06. 06. 202s. 4.
Under Regulation 4. 1 of UGC Regulations,2023, the role of the University is to examine the application of the \ \ college for autonomous status on UGC portal and give its recommendations along with reasons/justification, within thirty (30) working days on UGC Portal. If it does not respond on UGC Portat within such working days, it shall be presumed that the appellant University has no objection to the processing of the application by UGC for conferment of autonomous HC. , (AKrS, Jl & cMM, 4 J W. A. No. 289 of 2026 statur;. The university has to issue notification within thirty (30) cays for a college to function as an autonomous entity once the autonomous stafus is conferred on the college by uGC, as per Regulation 4. 2 of UGC Regulatio ns, 2023. uGC Regulations,2023, do not require the writ petitioner college to first nrake an application for conferment of autonomous status before approaching uGC for such approval.
The plea of the appell,ant University on that count is therefore not tenable. '[he 5. learned writ court has taken into consideration that the application for conferment of autonomous status was made to UGC by the writ petitioner coilege on 24. 07. 2024 much before the commencement of the academic year 2025-26. The , correspondence between / UGC and the appellant university also shows that the appellant university had objection to the confernrent of autonomous status on the writ petitioner college only for the academic year 2oz4-25. The learned writ court therefore did not find any justification on the part of the appellant University in denying the conferment of autonomous status on the writ petitioner college. if it had failed to take any HCJ (AKrS, Jl & GMM, J 5 w. A. No. 289 of 2026 objection on the writ petitioner's application on UGC Portal /,' within the time prescribed, the same would amount to deemed consent. 6.
In the aforesaid facts and circ we are of the considered view that the order under appeal does not suffer from any infirmity calling for interference in this Writ Appeal The instant Writ Appeal is accordingly dismissed. There shall be n5 oider'asto costs .. " '.! Miscellaneous applications, if any pending, shall stand b,losed. \{a ,,i\ SD'- II/IOHD. ISMAIL DEPUTY REGISTRAR ,/TRUE COPY/ SECTION OFFICER To FOR 1. One CC to SRI PRABHAKAR PERI, SC JN 2. One CC to SRI K. PRADEEP REDDY, Advocate 3. One CC to SRI MALIPEDDI SRINIVAS REDDY , sc FoR OU [OPUC] ucI One CC to SRI A. P. SURESH RAO, sc FoR TGEAPCETB [OP 4. 5. One CC to SRI M. P. KASHYAP, SC FOR UGC [OPUCI EDUCATION, High Court for the State of 6. Two CCs to GP FOR HIGHER Telangana, at HYderabad. [OUT] 7 Two CD CoPies PSK. TKS 4- -- -c , . 2 HIGH COiURT DATED i Ctgl04l2026 JUDGMENT gE Sre 1 WA. No. 289 of 2026 ,,*) g 202$ J 2 APR % . t t /). f" ,.. 1 DISMISSING THE WRIT APPEAL WITHOUT COSTS * )r\
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