PUNJAB UNIVERSITY CHANDIGARH vs DEVJANI CHAKRABARTI & OTHERS

The Supreme Court ruled that the Punjab University Act, Section 20(5) and Section 31 empower the Syndicate to make rules regarding educational patterns, and such rules cannot be deemed retrospective merely because they apply to students who commenced their education earlier. The Court held that the decisions made by the Punjab University on 18.4.1980 and 7.5.1980, which altered the equivalence of examinations, did not violate the principle of promissory estoppel as the University acted within its statutory powers. The Court dismissed the petitioners' claims regarding the retrospective application of the rules.