HON’BLE MRS. JUSTI CE SUREPALLI NANDA WRI T PETI TI ON No.32480 OF 2025

ORDER:

Heard Sri M. Sambasiva Rao, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners, learned Assistant Government Pleader for Higher Education, appearing on behalf of respondent Nos.1, 3 and 4 and Miss M.Sai Priya, learned counsel representing Sri P. Pandu Ranga Reddy, learned Standing Counsel on record appearing on behalf of respondent No.2.

2. The petitioners approached this Court seeking the prayer as under:

“…to issue an appropriate Writ, Order or direction, more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus, declaring the action of the 2^nd Respondent not issuing the petitioners original certificates in spite of a requests by the petitioners in contemptuous, unjust, illegal, arbitrary, against the orders of this Hon’ble Court in and violative of Article 14 and 21 of the constitution of India and consequently, direct the 2^nd respondent to return the petitioners all original certificates such as Memorandum of Marks of Intermediate, SSC, Study Certificates, Caste Certificates etc., immediately to avoid missing the Higher Education opportunities and to pass order...”

3. The case of the petitioners in brief is that the petitioners got admission in convener quota in the 2^nd respondent college in the year 2021 and joined CSE B.Tech by giving all necessary original documents. The petitioners belong to SC and ST community. The government of Telangana is providing fee reimbursement scheme for the above categories. Upon completion of courses, the petitioners approached the 2^nd respondent for their original certificates, but the 2^nd respondent refused and rejected to issue the original certificates of the petitioners.

It is further the case of the petitioners that the petitioners submitted written representation to the 2^nd respondent authorities to get back their original certificates, but the respondent authorities informed that the petitioners have to pay all the due amount and then only they will return all their certificates. The petitioners approached the Telangana State Human Rights Commission and submitted their representation on 12.09.2025 and requested to direct the 2^nd respondent for return of their original certificates and the Telangana State Human Rights Commission has directed the 2^nd respondent to return the petitioner’s original certificates dated 16.09.2025. Despite the same the respondent authorities did not release the original certificates of the petitioners. Aggrieved by the action of the respondents, the petitioners filed the present writ petition.

4. PERUSED THE RECORD (A) The letter vide Lr.No.0508/ TGCHE/

Refund of Originals/ 2024, dated 05.08.2024 issued by the Telangana Council of Higher Education, Hyderabad addressed to the Registrars of OU, KU, TU, MGU, SU, PU, JNTU, JNAFAU & TMVV is extracted hereunder:

“Sir, Sub:- TGCHE Withholding of Original Certificates of the Students – Instructions to the Universities/Colleges- Regarding.

Ref:- This office Lr. No. TGCHE/Fee Reimbursement /2024, dt.23.02.2024 While referring to the subject and reference cited that in continuation of earlier letter, it has come to the notice of the Government that certain private colleges are withholding the original certificates of students on the pretext of not receiving fee reimbursement from the Government Withholding of original certificates will have significant implications for the students, especially when they need to present these documents to join for higher education, applying or joining for jobs and other purposes Further, in terms of UGC (Grievance Redressal of students) Regulations 2018, the colleges are barred from withholding or refusing to return any document in the form of certificates of degree, diploma or any other award or other document deposited with it by a students for the purposes of seeking admission in such institution Therefore, I am by direction request the Universities to address/ instruct to all affiliated Private Colleges under