The court affirmed the authority of the UGC to confer autonomous status to colleges, mandating timely notification by the university.

ORDER

This writ petition has been filed for issue of a writ of mandamus directing the second respondent University to notify the autonomous status granted to the petitioner College by the first respondent - University Grants Commission within a time frame fixed by this Court.

2. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Standing Counsel for the second respondent.

3. The case of the petitioner is that the petitioner College has been functioning for more than 17 years with appropriate approval from AICTE and affiliation granted by the second respondent University. The college was included in the list of colleges under Section 2(f) the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 under the head of Non-Government College teaching upto Master Degrees and Section 12(B) of UGC Act under the head of Non-Government College teaching upto Master's Degrees by the first respondent vide proceedings dated 08.12.2023.

4. The petitioner was eligible as per Regulation 6 of the University Grants Commission (Conferment of Autonomous Status upon Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Autonomous Colleges) Regulations, 2023 [hereinafter "UGC Regulation 2023"]. Accordingly, the petitioner submitted an application to the first respondent for conferment of autonomous status from the academic year 2025-2026. The first respondent conferred the autonomous status to the petitioner - College, through proceedings dated 24.04.2025 for a period of 5 years from 2025-2026 to 2029-2030 as per Clause 7.4 of UGC Regulation 2023. A direction was also issued to the second respondent University to issue necessary notification within 30 days regarding the grant of autonomous status to the petitioner College as per UGC Regulation

2023.

5. The petitioner College, on receipt of the conferment, approached the second respondent through letter dated 26.04.2025 to notify the petitioner College as autonomous as per the orders of the first respondent.

6. The grievance of the petitioner is that the second respondent University has not notified the conferment of autonomous status for more than a year and it is under these circumstances, the present writ petition came to be filed.

7. Insofar as the conferment of autonomous status is concerned, is is a power that has been conferred to UGC and this position of law has been confirmed by the Apex Court. Apart from that, this Court in a recent order in W.P.Nos.35, 38 and 39 of 2025 dated 05.02.2025 reiterated the said position. It was further confirmed in appeal in W.A.No.2514 of 2025 etc., batch dated 02.09.2025. It is brought to the notice of this Court that the order dated 02.09.2025 of Hon'ble Division Bench has been further confirmed by Hon'ble Apex Court by dismissing SLP that was filed by the second respondent on 15.10.2025. In the light of the above, the second respondent University have to necessarily notify the autonomous status of the petitioner College which has been pending for more than a year. Hence, the second respondent is directed to act upon the application submitted by the petitioner on 26.04.2025 and notify the petitioner College conferring autonomous status as per orders of the first respondent. This process shall be completed by the second respondent within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.

This Writ Petition is disposed of with the above directions.

There shall be no order as to costs.