( 1 ) IN this writ petition petitioners 1 to 4 are private engineering colleges which were permitted by the Government of Andhra pradesh and approved by the All India council for Technical Education, New Delhi (AICTE or Council or apex body, for brevity) and the fifth petitioner is a student aspiring to prosecute B. E. /b. Tech. Course. The writ petition is filed for a writ in the nature of Writ of Mandamus declaring the action of the State of Andhra Pradesh, the first respondent herein, in effecting the additional course/ additional intake of seats in engineering colleges from 2000-2001 instead of 1999-2000 as mentioned in g. O. Rt. No. 1307, Higher Education (EC. 2) department, dated 15-12-1999 as arbitrary, illegal and violative of Article 14 of the constitution of India and to set aside the same. The brief facts stated in the affidavit accompanying the writ petition are as under.

( 2 ) THE private engineering colleges in the state of Andhra Pradesh approached the first respondent in 1998 to recommend to aicte for additional course/additional intake of seats. The Government of Andhra pradesh, after considering the various aspects, forwarded the proposals of the p