Post-matric scholarship scheme: HC summons PU V-C, registrar over withholding of degrees

The plea was from one Janak Raj, who stated that reserved category students who completed their graduation between 2022 and 2024, have not been able to secure further admission or employment due to withholding of their degrees.

Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) has summoned Panjab University (PU) vice-chancellor Renu Vig and registrar Yajvender Pal Verma on October 28 in response to allegations that the varsity has withheld degrees of Scheduled Caste (SC) category students due to a dispute over post-matric scholarship funds with colleges.

Their counsel, Yagyadeep had submitted that their DMCs and degrees have not been issued on grounds that Government College, Hoshiarpur, did not deposit the examination fee of these students and because of this, neither was their result declared, nor has any degree been issued. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The plea was from one Janak Raj, who stated that reserved category students who completed their graduation between 2022 and 2024, have not been able to secure further admission or employment due to withholding of their degrees.

Their counsel, Yagyadeep had submitted that their DMCs and degrees have not been issued on grounds that Government College, Hoshiarpur, did not deposit the examination fee of these students and because of this, neither was their result declared, nor has any degree been issued.

He further stated that they all are covered by the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme under which Centre and Punjab gives funds to the college but due to dispute over the same, PU has targeted them, who otherwise were not under the liability to pay any examination fee.

When PU’s counsel Subhash Ahuja was asked to explain, he submitted that students are not entitled to get their degrees/certificates because the college in which they were studying has not paid the examination fees. Ahuja added that there are a number of petitions in which students have not been issued certificates and degrees by the university because their respective colleges have not deposited the examination fee.

The bench of justice JS Puri observed, “This court takes a serious view of such cases, wherein the petitioners, who are students belonging to the reserved category, have not been issued their certificates/degrees for no fault of theirs. The bench added that generally, the court would not direct appearance of any official in normal circumstances but when the matter attains this “height of seriousness” then such a step was warranted.