JUDGMENT

SWARANA KANTA SHARMA, J.

1. The present writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India has been filed on behalf of the petitioner seeking quashing of communication dated 27.05.2024, issued by respondent no. 2 i.e., Association of Indian Universities [„AIU‟] and direction to the respondents to re-consider the case and issue Equivalence Certificate to the petitioner.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

2. The petitioner before this Court is a citizen of the United States of America [„USA‟], and an Overseas Citizen of India [„OCI‟] Cardholder, who had completed his 12th-Grade education from Laurel Springs School, 302, West El Paseo Road, Ojai, California 93023, USA [„Laurel Springs School‟]. Thereafter, the petitioner had appeared for and qualified the National Eligibility-cum- Entrance Test [„NEET (UG) 2024‟], and had sought admission in MBBS program under the Non-Resident Indian [‘NRI‟] quota. In order to participate in the counselling process, the petitioner required an Equivalence Certificate from the AIU to verify his educational qualifications.

3. However, on 27.05.2024, the AIU declined to issue the Equivalence Certificate to the petitioner, citing that Laurel Springs School w