JUDGMENT

SAWANT, J. :- These appeals are directed against two orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court by which the High Court has directed the appellant-Institute to admit respondent-students 1 to 8B to its B.E. course irrespective of their merits.

2. The relevant admitted facts are that on May 24 & 25,1989, respondent No. 9, Punjab University, held a Combined Entrance Test (C.E.T.) for admission to B.E. Course (Session 1989-90) conducted by 4 different institutes including the appellant-Institute. On June 26, 1989, the University declared the merit list of students who appeared in C.E.T. June 30, 1989 was the last date fixed for submitting applications by students to individual institutes. The students were given choice of the institutions and they were required to state their choice in order of preference. The representatives from the 4 institutes met together at Chandigarh from 24th to 27th July, 1989 to finalise the admissions to the 4 institutes. The meeting of the representatives of the 4 institutes was necessary to ensure that the students were given the institutes of their choice in the order of merit, subject, of course, to the students applying to the particular institu