Source: The Times of India via PwC – EdLive
Terminating the validity of degrees and diplomas in technical courses issued by various deemed universities and institutes to the students of the region through distance learning programmes, the Punjab and Haryana High Courts held that the issuance of such academic certificates is illegal. The candidates cannot be deemed to be qualified in the purported subjects in the absence of approval from the UGC.
The decision will primarily affect thousands of employees in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, who received promotions on the basis of such degrees and diplomas. The Division Bench, comprising Justices Hemant Gupta and Rajiv Narain Raina, passed the judgment stating that the UGC and AICTE did not approve of this practice.