IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

DATED THIS THE 13^TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2026

PRESENT

THE HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE

AND

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA

WRIT APPEAL NO. 515 OF 2024 (EDN-RES)

BETWEEN:

KARNATAKA STATE OPEN UNIVERSITY

MUKTHAGANGOTRI

MYSORE - 570 006

REP. BY ITS REGISTRAR.

…APPELLANT

(BY SRI. RAJENDRA KUMAR SUNGAY T P., ADVOCATE)

AND:

1. SRI RAKESH RANJAN SINHA

S/O RAMESHWAR PRASAD SINGH

AGED ABOUT 50 YEARS

R/AT SHIV COLONY, CHHATA M-ATHURA

Digitally

signed by UTTAR PRADESH - 281 401.

NIRMALA

DEVI

2. UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION

Location:

High Court of REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY

Karnataka

O/O. BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR MARG

NEW DELHI - 110 002

O/O SOUTH WESTERN REGIONAL OFFICE

(BANGALORE) P.K.BLOCK

PALACE ROAD, GANDHI NAGAR

BANGALORE - 560 009.

…RESPONDENTS

THIS WRIT APPEAL IS FILED UNDER SECTION 4 OF THE

KARNATAKA HIGH COURT ACT, 1961 PRAYING TO CALL FOR

RELEVANT RECORDS AND SET ASIDE THE IMPUGNED ORDER DATED 20/02/2024 PASSED IN WP NO.23197/2023(EDN-RES) BY THE LEARNED SINGLE JUDGE OF THIS HON'BLE COURT AND DISMISS THE SAID WRIT PETITION BY ALLOWING THIS WRIT APPEAL.

THIS APPEAL, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, THIS DAY, JUDGMENT WAS DELIVERED THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE and HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA

ORAL JUDGMENT

(PER: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE)

1. The appellant has filed the present appeal impugning an order dated 20.02.2024 passed by the learned Single Judge in W.P.No.23197/2023 (EDN-RES).

2. The writ petitioner had filed the said writ petition praying that the appellant be directed to consider his case for issuance of a Convocation certificate based on the earlier judgment passed by this Court in WP No.8638/2016 and WP No.25361/2017.

3. The writ petitioner, who was admitted by the appellant University to N.E.T. academy for pursuing Master of Arts in Geography for the academic year 2011-2013, had completed the course in the year 2014. On 16.06.2015, the University Grants Commission [UGCA] had issued a notification derecognizing the appellant. Consequently, the degrees issued by the appellant were also derecognized and students who had completed the courses were not being considered as having qualified the said course. This Court had in the earlier writ petitions passed orders directing that those candidates who had taken admission upto and including the academic year 2012-13 would be entitled to a degree regardless of the year of passing the final examination. The learned Single Judge following the earlier decisions allowed the writ petition in terms of the impugned order.

4. Concededly the issue is covered by the earlier decision of this Court including the order dated 17.08.2022 passed by the learned Single Judge in W.P.No.24293/2021, which is referred to in the impugned order.

5. The appellant had filed an appeal against the said decision [Order dated 17.08.2022 in W.P.No.24293/2021] being Writ Appeal No.1257/2022 (ED-RES) which was dismissed by an order dated 12.12.2024 [NC:2024:KHC:51214-DB]. The special leave petition preferred by the appellant against the said decision [SLP(Civil) Diary No(s).21427/2025] was also dismissed by the Supreme Court by an order dated 14.10.2025.

6. In view of the above, we find no grounds to interfere with the impugned order. The appeal is accordingly dismissed.

7. Pending applications, if any, stand disposed of.

Sd/-

(VIBHU BAKHRU)

CHIEF JUSTICE Sd/-

(C.M. POONACHA)

JUDGE VMB List No.: 2 Sl No.: 22