The State Of Madhya Pradesh And Ors. vs Manoj Sharma And Ors.

The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's decision affirming the eligibility of candidates who obtained M.Phil. degrees through distance education prior to the UGC Regulations 2009. The Court emphasized that the eligibility criteria set by the UGC must be interpreted in a manner that does not unjustly exclude candidates who completed their degrees before the regulations came into effect. The appeals filed by the State of Madhya Pradesh were dismissed, reinforcing the principle that prior qualifications should be recognized if they were valid at the time of completion.