IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of decision: 30.10.2025 GOURAV ..PETITIONER VS.

STATE OF HARYANA AND OTHERS ..RESPONDENTS CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE ASHWANI KUMAR MISHRA HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE ROHIT KAPOOR Present: Mr. Sardavinder Goyal, Advocate with Mr. Nishant Sindhu, Advocate for the petitioner.

Mr. Sourabh Mohunta, DAG, Haryana.

Mr. Pankaj Rana, Advocate for respondent No.2.

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ASHWANI KUMAR MISHRA, J.(ORAL)

1. This petition seeks to assail the order dated 21.08.2024 passed by respondent No.1/Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry Haryana, whereby the tuition fee for Veterinary and Livestock Development Diploma course in State of Haryana has been fixed at Rs.1,80,000/- per annum for State quota and Rs.2,50,000/- per annum for Management quota.

2. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that for the corresponding previous years 2023-24, the fee was Rs. 90,000/- and Rs. 1,50,000/- for the State Quota and Management quota, respectively. For the Academic Session 2024-2025 fee has been enhanced by almost 100 % in respect of State quota, whereas substantial enhancement appears to exist in respect of the management quota.

3. Repeated orders have been passed requiring the respondent/State to clarify the basis on which the said enhancement in fixation of fees has been made. The order passed by this Court on 20.05.2025, is reproduced as under:-

“The only grievance of the petitioner is against enhancement in quantum of annual fee of Rs. 90,000/- for State quota and Rs. 1,50,000/- for Management quota for academic session 2023-24, to Rs. 1,80,000/- for State quota and Rs. 2,50,000/- for Management quota for academic session 2024-25, vide communication dated 21.08.2024 (Annexure P-4).

The impugned communication dated 21.08.2024(Annexure P-4)

mentions about a committee having been constituted, which deliberated on the fee structure.

Learned counsel for the State of Punjab is directed to produce minutes of the said committee, which recommended enhancement in the quantum of fee structure.

List on 05.08.2025.”

4. The matter was again taken up on 18.08.2025 and the following order was passed:-

“Pursuant to the previous order passed, the Minutes of the Meeting have been placed before the Court which does not contain any reason for enhancement in fees.

Learned State counsel, however, submits that there are justifiable reasons available with the State on account of which the fee has been enhanced.

Let such material be placed on record by way of an affidavit to be filed within four weeks.

Adjourned to 01.10.2025.”

5. Pursuant to the above orders, an affidavit has been filed by the Director General, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department, Haryana, on behalf of respondent No.1, which records that the fee fixed for State quota and Management quota remained unaltered from 2011-12 to 2022-23. During the aforesaid period of 11 years, the tuition fee for State quota was Rs.60,000/- while for the Management quota, it was Rs. 1,25,000/- per annum. In the next year i.e. 2023-2024, there was an enhancement in the tuition fee for both the State quota and Management quota. For the State quota, the fee was enhanced to Rs.90,000/- while for the Management quota, it was Rs. 1,50,000/- per annum. Apart from stating that for 11 years, fee was not enhanced, no other material is placed on record, by the State, which may indicate that the enhancement in the fee for academic session 2024-2025, is based on any objective consideration of relevant material on record.

6. We are of the view that once the enhancement of fee has taken place in the year 2023-2024 from the earlier level of Rs. 60,000/- for State quota to Rs.90,000/- and in respect of Management quota from Rs.1,25,000/- to Rs. 1,50,000/-, any subsequent increase in the fee ought to have been based only upon existence of relevant material. Though a Committee for such purpose has already been constituted but except for the conclusions drawn, there is no material to demonstrate