ST. PETER INSTITUTE OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH THROUGH ITS REGISTRAR AND ANR vs UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION THROUGH ITS SECRETARY AND ORS

Judgment text excerpt

$~114 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Judgment Delivered on: 23.07.2025 + W.P.(C) 2078/2025 & CM APPL. 9739/2025, CM APPL. 29855/2025 ST. PETER INSTITUTE OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH THROUGH ITS REGISTRAR AND ANR..... .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Amit Chaddha, Sr. Adv. with Mr. Balaji Srinivasan, Mr. Vishwaditya Sharma, Ms. Harsha Tripathi, Ms. Kanishka Singh and Mr. Subornadeep Bhattacharjee, Advs. versus UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION THROUGH ITS SECRETARY AND ORS .....Respondents Through: Mr. Manoj Ranjan Sinha and Mr. Vishal Agrawal, Advs. for R-1/UGC. Mr. G. Balaji and Ms. Arzu Paul, Advs. for R-3. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VIKAS MAHAJAN JUDGMENT VIKAS MAHAJAN, J 1. The petitioner has assailed the rejection order dated 15.01.2025 issued by the respondent no.2/Union of India whereby approval for the establishment of Off-Campus Centre at Hosur, Tamil Nadu has been denied, primarily for the reason that the affiliating University i.e. respondent no.3 has refused No Objection Certificate (NOC). The challenge has also been made to the communication/letter dated 08.12.2023 of respondent no.3 (affiliating University) whereby it refused to give NOC in terms of W.P.(C) 2078/2025 Page 1 of 16 Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed By:DEEPAK SINGH Signing Date:22.07.2025 18:29:13 Regulation 8(3) of the UGC (Institutions deemed to be University) Regulations, 2023 (hereinafter ‘Regulations of 2023’). 2. The facts in brief are that the petitioner no.1 is a Deemed-to-be University, established in the year 2008 under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956. It was accredited with an ‘A+’ grade by NAAC in 2023. 3. The petitioner no.1 established a Medical College campus at Hosur, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu, in the year 2021. Petitioner no.1 ini