IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 19.03.2025 CORAM:

THE HON'BLE MRS.JUSTICE.N.MALA W.P.No.8149 of 2025 and WMP.No.9126 of 2025 PPG Institute of Technology, Rep. by its Principal, NH – 209, Sathy Main Road, Saravanampatti, Coimbatore – 641 035. ... Petitioner Vs.

1.University Grants Commission, Rep. by its Secretary, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi – 110 002.

2.Anna University, Rep. by its Registrar, Chennai – 600 025. … Respondents Prayer: Writ Petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, to issue a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, calling for the records of the impugned order of the second respondent in Procs.No.007/AU/CAC/Aut.Status/2024-2025 dated 03.02.2025, quash the same and consequently direct the second respondent herein to forthwith notify the autonomous status granted to the petitioner College in the order of the first respondent in No.F.2-10/2023 (AC-Policy) dated 09.09.2024 in line with the Judgment rendered in W.A.No.51 of 2020 as confirmed in S.L.P.(Civil)

Nos.8324-8325 of 2020.

For Petitioner : Mr.S.Raveekumar For R1 : Mr.B.Rabu Manohar, Standing Counsel For R2 : Mr.U.Baranidharan, Standing Counsel * * * * *

O R D E R

This Writ Petition is filed to call for the records of the impugned order of the second respondent in Procs.No.007/AU/CAC/ Aut.Status/2024-2025 dated 03.02.2025, quash the same and consequently direct the second respondent herein to forthwith notify the autonomous status granted to the petitioner College in the order of the first respondent in No.F.2-10/2023 (AC-Policy) dated 09.09.2024, in line with the Judgment rendered in W.A.No.51 of 2020 as confirmed in S.L.P.(Civil) Nos.8324-8325 of 2020.

2.The petitioner college was founded in the year 2008-09, by P.Perichi Gounder Memorial Charitable Trust, with the approval of UGC and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The petitioner college is affiliated with the second respondent, Anna University and offers eight UG courses and two PG courses. The Institution is recognised by the UGC under Section 2(f) of the University Grants Commission Act of 1956, and is accredited with an A Grade by the national Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), with a CGPA of 3.11. The petitioner Institution applied to UGC for the conferment of autonomous status in accordance with the UGC's regulations for colleges. As the petitioner college confirmed to all the eligibility criteria as outlined in University Grants Commission (Conferment of Autonomous Status Upon Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Autonomous Colleges) Regulation, 2023, the UGC, in its meeting held on 27.08.2024, approved the conferment of autonomous status to the petitioner for a period of ten years starting from the academic year 2024-2025 to 2033- 2034. On 09.09.2024, the UGC communicated its decision to Anna University, urging it to issue a notification within 30 days to declare the Autonomous Status of the petitioner college. Despite the request and a reminder submitted by the petitioner on 13.12.2024, the second respondent, Anna University failed to issue the required notification. On 08.01.2025, in the 273^rd Meeting of the Syndicate of the University, it was resolved to approve conferment of autonomous status only to PSG Institute of Technology and applied research, Coimbatore, as per the Anna University Statutes, on the Academic Matters 2023, ignoring completely the petitioner college's request. The 2^nd respondent without properly considering the facts, issued a communication to the petitioner in Procs.No.007/AU/CAC/Aut.Status, dated 03.02.2025, stating that the petitioner satisfied only 'TWO' out of 'SEVEN' requirements prescribed in its Statutes on Academic Matters, 2023, and therefore aggrieved by the impugned order dated

03.02.2025, the petitioner filed the above writ petition for the aforesaid relief.

3.The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the impugned order of the second respondent was illegal, arbitrary a