High CourtDivision BenchPetition dismissed

Managing Committee of Bhagwan Budh Primary Teachers Training College and Anr. v. State of Bihar and Ors.

Case / Petition Number:Special Leave Petition (Civil) No. 10326 of 1989
Neutral Citation:1989 Supp. 2 SCR

Case Details & Bench

Court
High Court
Hon'ble Judges
  • M. H. Kania
  • Kuldip Singh
Judgment Date
1989-11-06
Court Decision / Holding
Special leave petition is dismissed with these observations. The State Government of Bihar is directed to dispose of recognition applications promptly (within four weeks if possible) and to publish advertisements in at least three newspapers warning students not to enroll in unrecognized institutions. If recognition is granted, the Government should consider appropriate relief to the students for the relevant years.
Final Disposition
Petition dismissed

Parties to the Case

Appellants / Petitioners

  • Managing Committee of Bhagwan Budh Primary Teachers Training College and Anr.

Respondents

  • State of Bihar and Ors.

Legal Representation & Advocates

Counsels for Petitioners

  • • R. K. Jain
  • • R. Sharma
  • • R. P. Sharma
  • • Ms. Sangeeta Tripathi

Case Synopsis & Summary

This case concerns an educational institution in Bihar which began a teachers training college without any recognition and later sought the Government’s permission to allow its students to sit for examinations on the ground that recognition had not yet been decided. The Patna High Court’s dismissal of the Special Leave Petition (SLP) prompted the Supreme Court to intervene in a matter frequently repeated in the state: unrecognized colleges admitting students and collecting fees, then seeking relief in courts to allow examination attempts. The Court held that granting such permission would violate the Education Act and undermine statutory recognition requirements, echoing precedents—S.L.P. No. 12014 of 1987 (decided 25 November 1987) and A.P. Christians Medical Educational Society v. Government of A.P. & Anr., AIR 1986 SC 1490; [1986] 2 SCC 667—that recognition cannot be bypassed. The Justices directed the Bihar government to expedite recognition decisions and, if meritless, reject applications promptly, informing students to prevent further waste of their time and money. The State was urged to publish advertisements in multiple newspapers warning students against enrolling in unrecognized institutions, clarifying the risks. The Court dismissed the petition but laid down responsibilities for the State to curb misrepresentation and to consider relief to students if recognition is granted in the future. The decision reinforces compliance with statutory recognition processes while addressing student welfare.

Provisions of Law Cited

Education Act

Submissions & Arguments

Contentions of Appellants / Petitioners

Applicants contended that recognition of the institution was pending before the Government, and in the meantime they should be allowed to admit students and permit them to take examinations to avoid undue hardship and loss of substantial fees already collected. They argued that denial of relief would prejudice students for reasons beyond the institution’s control, and a reasonable accommodation should be provided while recognition is resolved.

Contentions of Respondents

Respondents argued that allowing students to sit for examinations without proper recognition would violate the Education Act and undermine statutory norms. They urged prompt disposal of recognition applications and, if lacking merit, their rejection with prompt notification to students; the State should prevent misrepresentation by unrecognized institutions and take measures to stop such entities from misleading students.

Cited Precedents (2)

Case NameCitationTreatmentExplanation
S.L.P. No. 12014 of 1987S.L.P. No. 12014 of 1987PositiveCited to illustrate that recognition decisions should be promptly disposed of and that granting relief contrary to statutory requirements would be improper.
A. P. Christians Medical Educational Society v. Government of A.P. & Anr.AIR 1986 SC 1490; [1986] 2 SCC 667PositiveCited as authority that unrecognized institutions cannot be allowed to examine or continue training; recognition is a prerequisite and not to be bypassed.

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Extracted Judgment Text

Exact text extracted from official judgment records.

# MANAGING COMMITTEE OF BHAGW AN BUDH PRIMARY TEACHERS TRAINING COLLEGE AND ANR. _v._ STATE OF BIHAR AND ORS. NOVEMBER 6, 1989 [M.H. KANIA AND KULDIP SINGH, JJ.) - _Educational Institutions: Education Act: Application for recogni-_ _tion of educational institution-Necessity for early disposal by Govern-_ _ment-Emphasised._ The petitioners in the special leave petition started, without recognition, a teachers training college in Bihar, and later applied for permission to allow its students to appear at the examination on the ground that the question of its recognition had not been decided by the Government. The petitioners failed to get the desired relief from the High Court. Dismissing the special leave petition, this Court, A B ## c D HELD: (1) A number of mushroom institutions have sprung up in the State of Bihar without getting any recognition and thereafter have tried to get the permission from courts that its students be allowed to E appear at the examination on grounds of sympathy. [l4G) (2) It is not possible to grant any such permission as prayed for because the granting of such permission would be clearly violating the provisions of the Education Act. [258) _S.L.P._ _No._ _12014_ _of 1987_ _decided on November 25,_ _1987 A.P._ _Christians Medical Educational Society_ v. _Government of A.P._ _&_ _Anr.,_ [ 1986) 2 sec 667, referred to. F (3) The application for recognition in this case was made by the petitioners as early as 1986 and that application has not still G been disposed of. The same should be disposed of within 4 weeks from today. [2SF) (4) The concerned department of the Government of Bihar, should see to it that applications for recognition of educational institutions are decided promptly and where such an application is without H 23 24 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1989] Supp. 2 S.C.R. A merit, the Government should promptly reject. the same and take steps to see to it that the rejection is brought to the attention of the students of the institution concerned so that they may not waste further time and money by undergoing training in that institution. [2SC] (5) The failure of the Government to take such action would only B reflect callous indifference to the interests of the young students to ###### whom the Government certainly owes certain responsibilities. [25D I (6) The State should consider taking such steps, Criminal or Civil, as open to it in law, to stop such institutions and those who run them from misleading students and deceiving them. [2SE] ##### c D E (7) The State Government of Bihar shall get published advertisements in at least three newspapers in that State with wide circulation warning students not to take admission in any educational institution which has not got recognition and making it clear that if they do so, they would be doing so at their own risk. [25G I CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Special Leave Petition (Civil) No. 10326 of 1989. From the Judgment and Order dated 1.8.1989 of the Patna High Court in C.W.J.C. No. 5768 of 1989. R.K. Jain, R. Sharma, R.P. Sharma and Ms. Sangeeta Tripathi for the Petitioners. The Judgment of the Court was delivered by F KANIA, J. This is one more case of an educational institution started in the State of Bihar without recognition applying for permission to allow the students, whom it has admitted and, from whom it has presumably recovered substantial fees, to be allowed to appear at the ensuing examination on the ground that the question of its recognition has not been decided by the Government. It appears from the G judgment of the High Court that a number of similar mushroom institutions have sprung up in the State of Bihar without prior recognition, have admitted students, received fees from them and allowed them to undergo training for a substantial period of time without getting any recognition and thereafter tried to get permission from the Court for their students to be allowed to appear at the examination on H grounds of sympathy. This impression has been gathered from a MANAGING COMMITTEE _v._ STATE OF BIHAR [KANI,A, J.] 25 number of similar applications made to this Court in the last few months. It is not possible to grant any such permission as prayed for because the granting of such permission would be clearly violating the privisions of the Education Act (See the judgments in S.L.P, No. 12014 of 1987 _decided on November 25, 1987 and the _A.P._ _Christians_ _Medical Educational Society_ v, _Government of A.P._ & _Anr.,_ AIR 1986 SC 1490: [1986] 2 SCC 667. What is however, unfortunate is that applications made by various educational institutions to the Government for recognition are not promptly disposed of. In fact, we are of the view that the concerned department of the Government of Bihar should see to it that applications for recognition of educational institutions are decided promptly and where such an application is without merit, the Government should promptly reject the same and take steps to see to it that the rejection is brought to the attention of the students of the institution concerned so that they may not waste further time and money by undergoing training in that institution. The failure of the Government to take such action would only reflect callous indifference to the interests of the young students to whom the Government certainly owes certain responsibilities. We also feel that the State Government should issue advertisement through newspapers and other possible channels, if any, to ensure that students do not get - misled by such unrecognised institutions into wasting their precious time and money in undergoing training which will be of no avail to them. We find that there appears to be a large number of students in the State who are misled by such institutions. In fact, the State should consider taking such steps, criminal or civil, as open to it in law to stop such institutions and those who run them from misleading students and deceiving them. We are informed that in the present case, the application for recognition was made by the petitioners and as early as 1986 that · application has not still been disposed of. We direct that, if this so, the application should be disposed of within 4 weeks from today. A B ### c D E F In these circumstances, we direct the State Government of Bihar G to _get published advertisements in at least three newspapers in that State with wide circulation warning students not to take admission in any educational institution which has not got recognition and making it clear that if they do so, they would be doing so at their own risk. The advertisements to be issued within three weeks from the date of receip~ of this order by the department concerned. We direct that the H 26 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [ 1989] Supp. 2 S.C.R. A copies of this order be sent forthwith to the Chief Minister of Bihar, the Minister in-charge of the Education Department and the Secretary of that department. B Special leave petition is dismissed with these observations. In case the application of the petitioners for recognition is granted, the Government will consider the granting of appropriate relief to the students in respect of the years for which the recognition is concerned. R.S.S. Petition dismissed.