IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH AT SHIMLA CWP No.14172 of 2025 .

Decided on: 23.02.2026P _________________________________________________________________

The Higher Education Institution Society ....Petitioner Versus National Council for Teacher Education and Ors.

…Respondents _______________________________ __________________________________

Coram t Ms. Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua 1 Whether approved for reporting?

_____________o____________________________________________________ For the petitioner: Mr. Karan Singh Kanwar, Advocate.

For the respondents: Mr. B. Nandan Vashisht, Advocate for respondents No.1 and 2.

Ms. Archna Dutt, Advocate, for respondent No.3.

Mr. Sanjeev Bhushan & Mr. Neeraj i Gupta, Sr. Advocates, with Mr.

H Rajesh Kumar and Mr. Pranjal Munjal, Advocates, for the applicant/proposed respondent in CMP No. 27485 of 2025.

Jyotsna Rewal Dua, Judge Respondent No.3 has filed the reply.

1 Whether reporters of Local Papers may be allowed to see the judgment? Yes

2. Learned counsel appearing for respondents No. 1 (National Council for Teacher Education) and 2 (Northern Regional Committee) submits that in view of recent developments that have taken place postH the filing of the writ petition, more particularly, the order passed by respondent No.2-Northern Regional Committee (NRC) on 02.02.2026, reply is not required to be filed by respondents No.1 & 2. Prayer has been made for deciding the writ petition in light of order passed by respondent No.2 on 02.02.2026.

Learned Senior Counsels appearing on behalf of proposed respondent No.4/applicant in CMP No.27485 of 2025, have placed on record a copy of order passed by hrespondent No.2 on 02.02.2026 and made submissions on gthat basis.

In view of above submissions, the matter has been taken up for hearing.

3. Heard learned counsel and considered the case file as also the document now placed on record.

4. Respondent No.1 passed an order on 31.07.2024 (Annexure P-5) in exercise of powers under Section 17 (1) of the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993 (The Act in short), withdrawing recognition of the petitioner-college for conducting B.Ed. Programme with annual intake of 100 students (02 basic unit). The order was with further direction that no fresh admission will be allowedH by the petitioner in the next academic session i.e. 2024-25.

Petitioner preferred statutory appeal against the aforesaid order under Section 18 of the Act. It appears that the aforesaid appeal of the petitioner was not being adjudicated. Pet u itioner raised this grievance in Higher Education Institution Society Vs. National Counsel for Teacher Education and Ors2. The writ petition was disposed of with direction to respondent No.1 to consider and hdecide the appeal so preferred by the petitioner in accordance gwith law, within three months.

Pursuant to the above direction, respondent No.1 decided petitioner’s appeal on 12.03.2025 (Annexure P-7). In terms of the decision, petitioner’s case was remanded to respondent No.2 (NRC) for fresh decision as under: -

“IV DECISION: -

After perusal of the Appeal Report, documents on record and oral arguments advanced during the online

2 CWP No.10233/2024 decided on 16.09.2024

hearing, Appeal Committee of the Council concluded to remand back the case to NRC with a direction to verify the documents submitted in Appeal from the concerned affiliating University. The Appellant institution is directed to forward to the NRC the documen.ts submitted in appeal within 15 days from the receipt of order of the Appeal and after receipt of the same the NRC to take further necessary action as per the NCTE Regulation, 2014, guidelines and amendments issued from time to time as per direction given herein above.”

While respondent No.2 (NRC) was considering the case of the petitioner after its remand by the Appellate Authority (respondent No.1), petitioner instituted present writ petition on 01.09.2025, seeking following substantive reliefs: -

h“(i) Issue a writ of Certiorari or direction