The University must comply with UGC regulations to notify a college's autonomous status upon conferment, within a stipulated timeframe.

ORDER

1. 1st This writ petition is filed for a mandamus, seeking directions to the 1 respondent to adhere to regulation 4.2 of University Grants Commission (Conferment of Autonomous Status upon Colleges and Measures for maintenance of standards in autonomous colleges) Regulations 2023, and further to notify the autonomous status granted to the petitioner college by the University Grants Commission vide its order dated 19.01.2024.

2. The Chief Executive Officer of the petitioner College approached the 2nd respondent/UGC for conferment of autonomous status for five years, from 2024-2025 to 2028-2029. The request of petitioner College was considered, nd and vide order dated 19.01.2024, the 2 respondent passed orders conferring the autonomous status to the petitioner college. Pursuant to the conferment of autonomous status by the UGC/2^nd respondent, the petitioner college st approached the 1 respondent-University to notify the autonomous status conferred on it by the UGC, as mandated by Regulation 4.2 of the UGC REGULATIONS . The petitioner stated that in the syndicate meeting of the University held on 29.07.2024, all other engineering colleges were recommended for notification of the autonomous status granted by the UGC, except the petitioner college. Therefore, the petitioner college, by letter dated st 03.02.2025, approached the 1 respondent-University for issuance of necessary notification under Regulations 4.2 of the UGC REGULATIONS , but there was no response. Hence, seeking the aforesaid directions, the petitioner college filed the present writ petition.

4. With the consent of both counsels, the main writ petition is taken up for final disposal.

5. Learned standing counsel for the 1 respondent-University submitted that the University, did not recommend the petitioner College, for conferment of autonomous status, as the petitioner college did not satisfy the criteria prescribed in the Academic Statutes of Anna University, 2023. The learned standing counsel further submitted that, without complying with the criteria mandated in the Academic Status of Anna University 2023, the petitioner college cannot claim such status. The counsel hence prayed for the dismissal of the writ petition.

6. Learned Standing Counsel for the 2nd respondent/UGC submitted that st objections of the 1 respondent-University were considered by the UGC, and the same were rejected not only for belated response, but also because the reason cited by the University for not considering the case of the petitioner college, was unsound and against the provisions of the UGC REGULATIONS , 2023.

7. Heard both sides and perused the materials available on record.

8.The role of the parent University is stipulated in Regulation 4 of the UGC REGULATIONS , 2023. The relevant regulations, namely 4.1 & 4.2 of UGC REGULATIONS , 2023, read as follows:

“4.1 To examine the application of the College for autonomous status on the UGC portal and give its recommendations, along with reasons/justification, within 30 working days on the UGC portal. If the parent University does not respond on the UGC Portal within 30 working days, it shall be presumed that the parent University has no objection to the processing of the application by the UGC for conferment of autonomous status.

4.2 Issue notification within 30 days for a College to function as an autonomous entity once the autonomous status is conferred on the College by UGC.”

From the above it is clear that once the objections of the affiliating University are considered and rejected by the UGC, the University was bound to notify the conferment of autonomous status of the college, within 30 days.

9. In the present case, the only objection raised by the 1st respondent-University, is that the pe