ORISSA LIFT IRRIGATION CORP. LTD. vs RABI SANKAR PATRO

The Supreme Court addressed the validity of degrees awarded by Deemed to be Universities through distance learning, particularly for candidates who were employed as diploma holders and later obtained B.Tech degrees. The Court held that while the degrees may be suspended pending a test by AICTE, candidates who were independently selected by the UPSC based on these degrees should not lose their jobs. The judgment emphasized the need for a fair consideration of in-service candidates' qualifications and the implications of suspending their degrees on their employment status.