N.K.SODHI, J.

1. Petitioners are students of Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala (for short the Institute). They were admitted to the first year of the Bachelor of Engineering course for the academic session commencing from July, 1999 and were granted admission on the basis of their merit in the Combined Entrance Test conducted for the purpose. The duration of the course is four academic years and each year is divided into two semesters. An examination is held at the end of each semester according to the syllabi prescribed by the Institute. Petitioners took the first semester examination and also the 2nd semester examination. They secured 40% of the credits offered to them in these two semesters but failed to secure 3.7 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) at the end of the first year. Their names were struck off from the rolls and they were asked to leave the Institute. This action was taken by the Institute in terms of Regulation 17 of the Regulations which after its amendment on 2-7-1999 then stood as under :-

"A student will be required to withdraw from the under-graduate programme and leave the Institute;(i) If at the end of first year, he/