TNOU admissions put on hold

Updated on: Thursday, June 16, 2011

The Madras High Court has restrained Tamil Nadu Open University inviting applications for admission to Degree courses to even those who have not passed the Higher Secondary or equivalent Exams but have completed only 18 years of age.

The First Bench, comprising Chief Justice M Y Eqbal and Justice T S Sivagnanam made the observation on a petition by an advocate who sought to declare the university's recent notification as illegal.

S Sathiachandran said the university website stated it has launched various courses Diploma, Under-graduate, PG and higher level courses and that entry requirements would be relaxed for graduate programmes (B.A.& B.Com) to help those aspirants who have not formally pursued any programme so far to enable them pursue a course of study of their choice.

However, to maintain standards and ensure quality, students who seek relaxed entry provisions would have to complete a preparatory Bachelor Preparatory Programme, concurrently with B.A./B.Com degree as the case may be.

Sathiachandran said the University published a notification on May 29 inviting applications for a number of Certificate, Diploma, U.G. and P.G.,programmes,which did not contain any note on validity of degrees obtained through such non formal programmes for employment in public services.

The petitioner sought to declare as illegal the notification for calendar year-2011 relating to the Bachelor Preparatory Programme for the students of non-formal stream.

The Bench permitted the petitioner to add the State of Tamil Nadu represented by Secretary to Government, Higher Education Department and the Distance Education Council, Delhi, as party respondents to this writ petition.

M Ravindran, Additional Solicitor General of India took notice for the impleaded the Distance Education Council, New Delhi and A Navaneethakrishnan, Advocate General assisted by S Venkatesh, Government Pleader took notice for the Higher Education Secretary. Both of them were directed to seek instruction in the matter.

The Bench also ordered notice to the University and posted the case for hearing after two weeks.

Meanwhle the Bench also stayed operation of clause 2.1.2 of the University Prospectus relating to admission or BPP and said none should be admitted for obtaining a degree without having any Plus Two or Higher Secondary qualification.

TNOU admissions put on hold

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