JUDGMENT :

Jyoti Saran, J.

The petitioners in each of the writ petitions pray for identical reliefs and it is for this reason that all these writ petitions have been heard analogous and are being disposed of with the consent of the parties at the stage of admission by a common judgment.

2. The petitioners in this batch of writ petitions are the Teachers Training Colleges established for imparting courses in Diploma in Elementary Education and/or the students of such Colleges. They seek a writ in the nature of mandamus to command the Bihar School Examination Board through its Chairman and Secretary for granting affiliation to the Colleges with effect from the Session 2016-18 and alongside, to permit the students of the petitioner Colleges to fill up examination forms on-line for appearing in the examination to be held for Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed.) for the Session 2016-18.

3. Though the reliefs have been articulated in a different manner in the writ petitions but the Teachers Training Colleges/students, who are petitioners before this Court in each of the writ petitions, in substance seeks a direction to the authorities of the respondent Bihar School Examination Board (h