JUDGMENT

C. Hari Shankar, J. - The petitioner college is engaged in running teacher training programmes, and is recognised, for the said purpose, by the National Council for Teacher Education (Respondent No. 1 herein and referred to, hereinafter, as "NCTE").

The Statutory Scenario

Relevant provisions of the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993

2. Teacher education, in India, is governed by the provisions of the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993 (hereinafter referred to as "the NCTE Act"), enacted on 29th December, 1993. The Act provides for the establishment of the NCTE, which operates through Regional Committees, i.e. the North Regional Committee (NRC), the East Regional Committee (ERC) and South Regional Committee (SRC).

3. Chapter IV of the NCTE Act deals with "Recognition of teacher education institutions". Sections 14 and 15, thereunder, read thus:

"14. Recognition of institutions offering courses or training in teacher education. -

(1) Every institution offering or intending to offer a course or training in teacher education on or after the appointed day, may, for grant of recognition under this Act, make an application to the Regional Committee conc