V.K.BALI, J.

1. Sachin Gaur through present writ petition (bearing C.W.P. No. 9979 of 1995) filed by him under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeks issuance of writ in the nature of mandamus directing the respondents to consider his candidature and admit him in Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Longowal in degree course in Engineering in on the basis of his high merit, i.e. 8th Position in the Entrance Test that was conducted for admission to the course in question. The claim of other petitioners in Civil Writ Petition Nos. 9926, 9943, 10038, 10416, 10928, 11663 and 12061 of 1995 is absolutely identical. Obviously, common questions of law and fact are involved in all these petitions and, therefore, we propose to deal with and decide all the writ petitions by a common judgment. The facts have, however, been extracted from Civil Writ Petition 9979 of 1995 (Sachin Gaur V/s. Punjabi University).

2. Petitioner, it appears, has brilliant academic record. He did his 10+2 examination from Digamber Jain Inter College, Baraut after which he joined Kanhiya Lal Bahudandi Institute, Rurkee for doing his diploma in Electronic Engineering. The said institute