( 1 ) THE petitioners have assailed the validity of the statutory action of the All India Council for Technical Education (for short aicte ) vide its proceedings in F. No. 732-50-024 (NDEG)/et/95 dated 21-10-1997 refusing to grant approval to the petitioners for establishing an Engineering College during the academic year 1997-98.

( 2 ) THE facts leading to the filing of this writ petition be summarised briefly as under:

( 3 ) THE 2nd petitioner is the Chairman of M/s Seva Trust, Habsiguda, R. R. district. The Seva Trust desiring to establish an Engineering College in the name and style of "m/s Sarathi Institute of Engineering and Technology", which is arrayed as petitioner No. 1, made an application dated 29-12-1995 to the AICTE for grant of approval to establish an un-aided Engineering College from the academic year 1996-97 with the strength of 300 students, comprising five disciplines viz. Mechanical Engineering, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering and Production Engineering, each discipline consisting of sixty students. The Committee constituted by the State Government of Andhra Pradesh inspecte