Delhi High Court
Dhritiman Ray vs University Of Delhi & Ors. on 28 September, 2020
Digitally Signed By:SINDHU
KRISHNAKUMAR
Signing Date:28.09.2020 19:27:02
$~10 to 13
* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
Date of Decision: 28th September, 2020
+ W.P.(C) 3945/2020 & CM APPL. 21339/2020
DHRITIMAN RAY ..... Petitioner
Through: Mr. Sarthak Maggon, Advocate.
(M:7045654395)
Mr. Subham Jain, Applicant in
person.
versus
UNIVERSITY OF DELHI & ORS. ..... Respondents
Through: Mr. Shlok Chandra, Advocate with
Mr. Chandratanay Chaube and Ms.
Mansie Jain, Advocates.
Mr. Sachin Datta, Sr. Advocate with
Mr. Mohinder J. S. Rupal, Mr. Hardik
Rupal, Advocates with Professor D.
S. Rawat, Dean (Examinations), Dr.
Sanjeev Singh, Director, DUCC for
University of Delhi.
Ms. Nidhi Raman, CGSC for UOI.
(M:9891088658)
Mr. Apoorv Kurup and Ms. Nidhi
Mittal, Advocates for R-3/UGC.
Ms. Sunieta Ojha, Advocate for
Digilocker.
Ms. Shefali Vohra, Advocate for R-4
GNCTD (M: 9313181836).
11 WITH
+ W.P.(C) 4444/2020 & CM APPL. 16012-14/2020
DR. AKSHITA KHOSLA ..... Petitioner
Through: Mr. Sarthak Maggon, Advocate.
versus
UNIVERSITY OF DELHI AND ORS. ..... Respondents
Through: Mr. Shlok Chandra, Advocate with
Mr. Chandratanay Chaube and Ms.
Mansie Jain, Advocates.
Mr. Apoorv Kurup and Ms. Nidhi
W.P.(C) 3945/2020, 4444/2020, 4571/2020 & 4754/2020 Page 1 of 7
Signature Not Verified
Digitally Signed
By:PRATHIBA M SINGH
Signing Date:28.09.2020 18:10
Digitally Signed By:SINDHU
KRISHNAKUMAR
Signing Date:28.09.2020 19:27:02
Mittal, Advocates for R-3/UGC.
Mr. Sachin Datta, Sr. Advocate with
Mr. Mohinder JS Rupal, Mr. Hardik
Rupal, Advocates with Professor D.
S. Rawat, Dean (Examinations), Dr.
Sanjeev Singh, Director, DUCC for
University of Delhi.
Ms. Nidhi Raman, CGSC for R-4.
(M:9891088658).
12 WITH
+ W.P.(C) 4571/2020 & CM APPL. 16511-13/2020
DR. NAMAN BARECHA & ORS. ..... Petitioners
Through: Mr. Sarthak Maggon, Advocate.
versus
UNIVERSITY OF DELHI & ORS. ..... Respondents
Through: Mr. Shlok Chandra, Advocate with
Mr. Chandratanay Chaube and Ms.
Mansie Jain, Advocates.
Mr. Apoorv Kurup and Ms. Nidhi
Mittal, Advocates for R-3/UGC.
Mr. Sachin Datta, Sr. Advocate with
Mr. Mohinder JS Rupal, Mr. Hardik
Rupal, Advocates with Professor D.
S. Rawat, Dean (Examinations), Dr.
Sanjeev Singh, Director, DUCC for
University of Delhi.
Mr. Rajendra Sahu, Sr. Panel Counsel
for R-4 UOI (M: 9910008632).
13 AND
+ W.P.(C) 4754/2020 & CM APPL. 17158-59/2020
DR MILI ROHILLA & ORS. ..... Petitioners
Through: Mr. Yatharth Rohila, Advocate.
(M:9999666038)
versus
UNIVERSITY OF DELHI & ORS. ..... Respondents
Through: Mr. Shlok Chandra, Advocate with
Mr. Chandratanay Chaube and Ms.
W.P.(C) 3945/2020, 4444/2020, 4571/2020 & 4754/2020 Page 2 of 7
Signature Not Verified
Digitally Signed
By:PRATHIBA M SINGH
Signing Date:28.09.2020 18:10
Digitally Signed By:SINDHU
KRISHNAKUMAR
Signing Date:28.09.2020 19:27:02
Mansie Jain, Advocates.
Mr. Sachin Datta, Sr. Advocate with
Mr. Mohinder JS Rupal, Mr. Hardik
Rupal, Advocates with Professor D.
S. Rawat, Dean (Examinations), Dr.
Sanjeev Singh, Director, DUCC for
University of Delhi.
Ms. Sunieta Ojha, Advocate for R-5.
CORAM:
JUSTICE PRATHIBA M. SINGH
Prathiba M. Singh, J. (Oral)
1. This hearing has been held through video conferencing.
C.M......./2020 and CM......../2020 (for impleadment)
2. Two impleadment applications have been filed by Dr. Ankur Yadav
and Ms. Ramita Iyer. Let the fresh CM APPLs. be numbered.
3. Insofar as Dr. Ankur Yadav is concerned, the grievance of the
Applicant is that the digital degree certificates which have been issued to
him have various errors. Let the candidate send an email to Dr. Sanjeev
Singh (e-mail: [email protected]), explaining the said errors. Dr.
Singh assures the Court that the same would be corrected, within a period of
two days and the rectified degree would be issued online.
4. Insofar as Ms. Ramita Iyer is concerned, it is submitted that the said
candidate requires the online digital degree certificate for employment in
Singapore. She has already applied for issuance of the online degree on
DU's portal on 10th August, 2020, in the urgency tab and submitted all her
documents. Accordingly, DU shall issue her online digital degree
certificates, on or before 5th October, 2020, subject to all the conditions
being fulfilled and after undertaking verification.
Signature Not Verified
Digitally Signed
By:PRATHIBA M SINGH
Signing Date:28.09.2020 18:10
Digitally Signed By:SINDHU
KRISHNAKUMAR
Signing Date:28.09.2020 19:27:02
W.P.(C) 3945/2020 & CM APPL. 21339/2020
W.P.(C) 4444/2020 & CM APPL. 16012-14/2020
W.P.(C) 4571/2020 & CM APPL. 16511-13/2020
W.P.(C) 4754/2020 & CM APPL. 17158-59/2020
5. An affidavit has been emailed by the ld. counsel for the University of
Delhi (hereinafter, 'DU') to the Court Master, giving further details as to the
provision of transcripts and online degree certificates as also printing of
paper degree certificates. The affidavit is stated to have been filed, however
returned under objections. Let the objections be removed from the affidavit
and it be brought on record.
6. In the said affidavit, DU has given its stand on the various aspects as
set out in the last order:
(A) Insofar as online degree certificates for students who graduated
prior to 2017 are concerned, DU expresses difficulty in creating an
online mechanism. According to Prof. D.S. Rawat, Dean
(Examinations), printing of degrees has already been undertaken for
students who graduated prior to 2017 and paper degrees have been
sent to the respective Colleges. However, he wishes to verify the same
and place the actual position on record. Let an affidavit, confirming as
to whether in respect of all students who graduated prior to 2017,
paper degrees have been transmitted to the respective colleges or the
students or not, be filed. Upon receiving confirmation of this fact, the
Court would pass further directions in this regard.
(B) Insofar as issuance of online transcripts and marksheets is
concerned, DU expresses inability to provide a mechanism for regular
students. However, in cases where there is an urgency for example,
for admission to foreign universities or for purposes of employment, it
Signature Not Verified
Digitally Signed
By:PRATHIBA M SINGH
Signing Date:28.09.2020 18:10
Digitally Signed By:SINDHU
KRISHNAKUMAR
Signing Date:28.09.2020 19:27:02
is submitted that if such requests are received, DU is willing to devise
a mechanism to address the urgent requests. Let the mechanism
devised for issuance of urgent transcripts and the details thereof be
placed on record, before the next date of hearing. Insofar as
marksheets are concerned, Prof. Rawat submits that all the marksheets
are being made available online to the students and they can be
downloaded.
(C) Insofar as paper printed degrees are concerned, it is stated in the
affidavit that an order for 14,000 degrees has been placed for the
students who graduated in 2017. Accordingly, the following timeline
has been placed on record:
"The tentative timeline, for printing of degrees after
completion of the due process shall be as follows:
i)Students passed in 2017 and awarded degree
in the Convocation held in 2018 shall be issued
paper degrees in 3 months through their
respective Colleges from where they have
passed.
ii) Students passed in 2018 and awarded
degree in the Convocation held in 2019 shall be
issued paper degrees in the next 3 months (after
the issue of degree of 2017) through their
respective Colleges from where they have
passed.
iii) Students passed in 2019 and awarded
degree in the Convocation held in 2019 shall be
issued paper degrees in the next 3 months (after
the issue of degree of 2018) through their
respective Colleges from where they have
passed."
(D) Insofar as the urgency tab for online degrees is concerned, it is
submitted by Mr. Sanjeev Singh, Joint Director, DUCC that under the
Signature Not Verified
Digitally Signed
By:PRATHIBA M SINGH
Signing Date:28.09.2020 18:10
Digitally Signed By:SINDHU
KRISHNAKUMAR
Signing Date:28.09.2020 19:27:02
four categories on the portal - i.e. for the purposes of admission to
foreign universities, admission to Indian universities, for the purpose
of employment and others, there were a total of 1788 applications that
were received with an urgency request and 1728 degree certificates
have already been issued. He submits that DU is attempting to issue
the remaining digital degree certificates within the next 30 days. It is
further submitted that on an average about 12 persons have been
engaged for the issuance of online degree certificates and 450 online
degree certificates are being generated on a daily basis.
(E). Insofar as transmission of data to Digilocker is concerned, Prof.
Rawat submits, that he will assess the situation and at least start
transmitting the marksheets and degrees which have been recently
issued to Digilocker, so that the burden on DU can be eased. Let
some tentative timeline for transmission of the data to Digilocker, be
placed on record before the next date of hearing.
(F). The affidavit filed by DU also states that DU is proposing to
levy some charges for issuance of digital degree certificates.
However, after some discussion, DU wishes to reconsider the said
decision and place the same in the subsequent affidavit.
7. In view of the above, let an affidavit be filed by DU in respect of the
following:
a. specific deadlines/dates be given for issuance of paper degrees
for the following categories of students -
• those who graduated prior to 2017
• students who graduated in 2017
• students who graduated in 2018
• students who graduated in 2019
Signature Not Verified
Digitally Signed
By:PRATHIBA M SINGH
Signing Date:28.09.2020 18:10
Digitally Signed By:SINDHU
KRISHNAKUMAR
Signing Date:28.09.2020 19:27:02
• students who would be graduating in 2020
b. The mechanism be devised for issuance of online transcripts in
respect of those students who need the same urgently and the same be
set out in the affidavit;
c. Further data relating to the issuance of online degree
certificates be also set out;
d. Timelines be specified for transmission of mark sheets and
degree certificates to Digilocker in a phased manner.
The affidavit of DU in compliance of the above order, be filed atleast 3 days
before the next date of hearing.
8. The online digital degree certificates, which are now been issued are
monolingual i.e., only in English, unlike the previous degree certificates
which were bilingual i.e., both in English and Hindi. It is ordered that both
formats of the online degree certificates whether in monolingual format or
bilingual format would be valid for the candidates to submit to their
respective universities/authorities in foreign countries and the present order
may be used for the said purpose.
9. List on 20th October, 2020 for further hearing.
PRATHIBA M. SINGH
JUDGE
SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
MR/A
Signature Not Verified
Digitally Signed
By:PRATHIBA M SINGH
Signing Date:28.09.2020 18:10
