Aftab Alam, J.

1. Eighteen appeals in this batch of twenty arise out of a common judgment by which the cases giving rise to those appeals (alongwith some other analogous cases) were dismissed by a learned single Judge. Following that judgment two other similar cases were dismissed by two other single Judges giving rise to the other two appeals in the batch.

2. The matter relates to revocation and cancellation, with retrospective effect, of the recognition/affiliation granted to four Teachers Training Colleges, claiming to be minority institutions by the State Government and the University respectively. As a consequence of revocation of recognition/affiliation, the degrees granted by the University to the students of those Colleges for the past sessions have also been cancelled affecting a large number of students. The concerned Colleges are four in number. These are (i) National Teachers Training College, Arer, Madhubani Darbhanga, (ii) S. Wakil Ahmad Teachers Training College, Murgiyachak, Darbhanga, (iii) R. A. College of Education, Kunjour, and (iv) Muslim Minority Ahmadia B.Ed. College, Katihar. The first two Colleges were granted affiliation by Lalit Narayan Mithiia University, Darbhanga and the other two by B.N. Mandal University, Madhepura.

3. Curiously though it is only the first institution, namely, National Teachers Training College, Arer that has come to challenge the actions of the Government and the University in revoking its recognition/affiliation and the degrees granted to its students retrospectively. It also seeks to challenge the action of the National Council of Teacher Education in withdrawing its recognition as a consequence of the revocation of the recognition/affiliation by the State Government/the University. The other three institutions do not seem to be bothered by the actions of the Government/ University. None of the three institutions has come forward to challenge the notices/orders concerning them and in case of those three Colleges, only individual students have come to the Court, trying to save their degrees granted by the Universities to which those Colleges were affiliated.

4. The genesis of the matter lies in institution of criminal cases against the promoters and office bearers of the four Colleges for criminal conspiracy, cheating, fraud, forgery etc. It appears that enquiries were made in the affairs of these Colleges by the Investigation Bureau of the Cabinet (Vigilance) Department and in light of the enquiry report, First Information Reports were lodged at the Vigilance Police Station giving rise to different cases. In view of the materials, forming the basis of the F.I.Rs., directions were issued to the concerned Universities to retrospectively revoke the recognition granted to the Colleges. The Vice-Chancellor of the concerned Universities followed by issuing the notices/orders of revocation, retrospectively cancelling the affiliation of the Colleges.

5. For the sake of convenience, I propose to take up the matter concerning each of the four Colleges separately. NATIONAL TEACHERS TRAINING COLLEGE ARER, MADHUBANI UNDER LALIT NARAYAN MITHILA UNIVERSITY (LPA No. 432 of 2001, arising from CWJC No. 5430 of 1999).

6. On the basis of the Vigilance enquiry, a first Information Report was lodged against the promoters and office bearers of the College, on 11.5.1999 giving rise to Vigilance Police Station Case No. 8 of 1999. Following the institution of the case, the Deputy Secretary in the Department of Secondary, Primary and Adult Education issued letter, dated 18.5.1999 to the Vice-Chancellor/Registrar, Lalit Narayan Mithila University, Darbhanga stating that in the F.I.R. of the Vigilance Case, the departments letter no. 307, dated 4.12.1997 (by which the College was granted recognition) was described as forged and it came to light that that letter was the result of interpolation and manipulation in Government records; further that in view of the facts coming to light, letter no. 307