JUDGMENT

Rajendra Babu, J.-

Civil Appeals Nos. 1626-1628 of 2004 (@ S.L.P. (C) Nos. 20756-20758/2003) and Civil Appeals Nos. 1629-1631/2004 (@ S.L.P. (C) Nos. 20901-20903/2003)

Leave granted in the special leave petitions.

2. In these matters, writ petitions were filed in the High Court of Madras seeking for a writ or order or direction to quash G.O.Ms. dated 29.6.2002 and 13.2.2003 issued by the Higher Education Department in so far as the respondents were concerned and to direct the appellants and others to consider their admission to engineering colleges without reference to the minimum eligible marks prescribed by the appellants.

3. The learned Single Judge of the High Court, who examined the matter, held that the prescription of qualifications or prescription of the minimum eligible marks for SC/ST as mere pass, most backward at 50% average marks in the related subjects, backward at 55% average marks in the related subjects and other classes at 60% average marks in the related subjects, would not be in conflict with the Regulations of All India Council for Technical Education [AICTE] and, therefore, dismissed the writ petitions. On appeal, a Division Bench of the High Court held th