The court held that there is no vested right to an extension of admission cut-off dates and emphasized the importance of maintaining set deadlines to avoid disruption in academic schedules.

JUDGMENT

Sanjeev Narula, J. (Oral)--The present batch of petitions under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, 1950, inter-alia, seek direction(s)for quashing notifications/communications¹ and primarily extension of time for completion of admissions and fixing of dates of counselling for nursing courses at their respective colleges/institutes for the Academic Year 2021-22.

PARTIES TO THE DISPUTE

2. Parties to the above-captioned petitions are as encapsulated in the table hereinbelow:

3. Although the pleadings are not complete in all the cases, however, in view of the urgency projected by the Senior Counsel for the Petitioners and on consensus among the counsel for the parties, the cases were finally heard. The pleadings in all three petitions are similar - with the petitioners in W.P. (C) 8006/2022 & W.P. (C) 8318/2022 being identically placed. Further, since the reliefs as well as the grounds urged by Petitioners are also identical, the same were heard together and are being decided by way of a common order. For the sake of convenience, the facts, primarily in W.P.(C) 8006/2022, are being noted and discussed.

BRIEF FACTS

4. The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test ("NEET") for undergraduate courses was conducted in September, 2021 and its results were declared in December, 2021.

5. Considering various representations received from State Governments qua extension of last date of admission for the Academic Year 2021-22, Indian Nursing Council [Respondent No. 2 in all petitions], vide notification dated 23rd December, 2021, fixed the last date of admissions as 21st March, 2022 and directed all Universities/State Nursing Registration Councils ("SNRCs")/Nursing Institutions to ensure strict adherence to such timelines.

6. The first and second rounds of counselling held by Medical Counselling Committee were concluded on 9th February, 2022 and 5th March, 2022 respectively. In the first round of counselling, only 18 out of a total of 50 seats of the St. Stephen's Hospital of Nursing were filled. Thereafter, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University [hereinafter, "GGSIPU"] held the second round of counselling from 8th March, 2022 to 23rd March, 2022, wherein only 6 students were admitted, and subsequently, one student got her admission cancelled. The first mop-up round stood complete on 31st March, 2022. Similarly, after conclusion of the first and second rounds of counselling on 31st January, 2022 and 15th March, 2022 respectively, only 11 out of a total of 54 seats of Laxmi Bai Batra College of Nursing [Petitioner in W.P. (C) 8318/2022] stood filled.

7. Even though the second round of counselling was completed by 23rd March, 2022, no further round of counselling was held by GGSIPU. Considering that a number of seats still remained vacant at Petitioners as well as at other affiliated colleges/institutes, they repeatedly requested the said University to hold further rounds of counselling. However, the said University did not agree, citing the notification dated 23rd December, 2021 issued by Indian Nurs