R.N.MITTAL, J.

1. Briefly, the facts are that Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala-respondent No. 1 is running four years degree course. It has been declared to be a University under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956. There are 180 seats for Bachelor of Engineering Course, out of which 2 per cent seats are reserved for outstanding sportsmen who possess sports gradation. Certificates issued by the Department of Sports, Punjab. Thus, there are in all four seats for outstanding sportsmen. The Sports Department issues four types of gradation certificates, namely, Grade A for sportsmen of International standing, Grade B for sportsmen of National standing, Grade C for sportsmen of State standing and Grade D for sportsmen who played for their colleges.

2. For determining the inter se merit of the candidates, the College has adopted a policy of giving weightage to the candidates according to their gradation certificates. The candidates having gradation certificates A, B, C and D are given a weightage of 10 per cent, 5 per cent, 3 per cent and 2 per cent marks respectively. The College has evolved its own formula for determining the merit of