W.P.(C) 8814/2022 & W.P.(C) 8869/2022 Page 1 of 95

IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

Date of decision: 12^th SEPTEMBER, 2022

IN THE MATTER OF:

+

W.P.(C) 8814/2022 and C.M. Nos. 26539/2022 & 30972/2022

ST STEPHENS COLLEGE

..... Petitioner

Through:

Mr. Kapil Sibal, Senior Advocate

with Ms. Romy Chako, Mr.Sudesh

Kumar Singh, Ms. Aparajita Jamwal,

Mr.Koshy John, Advocates

versus

UNIVERSITY OF DELHI AND ANR

..... Respondents

Through:

Mr. Chetan Sharma, ASG with Mr.

Mohinder J S Rupal, Ms. V Bhawani,

Mr. Aakash Pathak, Mr. Amit Gupta,

Mr. Rishav Dubey, Mr. Sahaj Garg,

Ms. Apoorva, Mr. Saurabh Tripathi,

Advocates for respondent/University

of Delhi.

Mr. Vikramjit Banerjee, ASG with

Mr.ApoorvKurup, CGSC, Ms. Nidhi

Mittal, Mr. Saransh Kumar, Mr.

Nring Chamwibo Zeliang, Mr. Raman

Yadav, Mr. Ojaswa Pathak, Ms.

Aparna Arun, Ms. Janvi Prakash, Mr.

Siddhartha

Sinha,

Mr.

Prashant

Rawat, Advocates for R-2/UGC.

+

W.P.(C) 8869/2022 and C.M. No. 26694/2022

KONIKA PODDAR

..... Petitioner

Through:

Mr. Arun Bhardwaj, Sr. Advocate

with Mr. Akash Vajpai, Mr. Abhishek

This is a digitally signed Judgement.

NEUTRAL CITATION NO: 2022/DHC/003602

W.P.(C) 8814/2022 & W.P.(C) 8869/2022 Page 2 of 95

Sharma and Ms. Gauraan, Advocates.

versus

ST STEPHENS COLLEGE & ORS.

..... Respondents

Through:

Mr. A. Mariarputham, Sr. Adv. with

Mr. Romy Chacko and Mr. Sudesh

Kumar Singh, Advs. for Respondent

No. 1.

Mr. Chetan Sharma, ASG with Mr.

Mohinder J S Rupal, Ms. V Bhawani,

Mr. Aakash Pathak, Mr. Amit Gupta,

Mr. Rishav Dubey, Mr. Sahaj Garg,

Ms. Apoorva, Mr. Saurabh Tripathi,

Advocates for respondent/University

of Delhi.

CORAM:

HON’BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SUBRAMONIUM PRASAD

JUDGMENT

1.

W.P.(C) 8814/2022 has been filed on behalf of St. Stephen’s College,

New Delhi (a Constituent/Affiliated College of University of Delhi, i.e.

Respondent No.1), seeking the quashing of letter dated 09.05.2022 issued by

Respondent No.1 communicating that the admission policy as approved by

the Academic Council of Respondent No.1 shall be applicable to all colleges

under the aegis of Respondent No.1, and that the Petitioner must not only fill

50% of its unreserved seats solely on the basis of the Common University

Entrance Test (CUET)-2022 scores, but shall also employ a single merit list

for admission of candidates belonging to the Christian community. The writ

petition further challenges the Communication dated 24.05.2022 directing

the Petitioner to withdraw its Admission Prospectus – Undergraduate (UG)

This is a digitally signed Judgement.

NEUTRAL CITATION NO: 2022/DHC/003602

W.P.(C) 8814/2022 & W.P.(C) 8869/2022 Page 3 of 95

Programmes (2021-2022) and to issue a Public Notice iterating that

Respondent No.1’s admission policies shall be applicable to the Petitioner

for UG Programmes for the Session 2022-2023.

2.

The Petitioner in W.P.(C) 8814/2022 had thereafter also filed an

application, being C.M. APPL.30972/2022, seeking permission to

incorporate the following additional prayers in the Writ Petition:

Petitioner St. Stephen‘s College, New Delhi

This is a digitally signed Judgement.

NEUTRAL CITATION NO: 2022/DHC/003602

W.P.(C) 8814/2022 & W.P.(C) 8869/2022 Page 4 of 95

be generated for UR and minority candidates.‖

3.

W.P.(C) 8869/2022, styled as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has

been filed by a law student on behalf of aspirants wanting admission in St.

Stephen’s College, i.e. Respondent No.1, seeking directions to Respondent

No.1 to admit students in its unreserved seats solely on the basis of the

CUET scores as mandated by the University of