Education Promotion Society for India versus Union of India - Supreme Court Important Judgment 2019

Education Promotion Society for India versus Union of India - Supreme Court Important Judgment 2019 - 

On 21st June, 2019, in the case of Education Promotion Society for India & Another vs Union of India & Others [Writ Petition (Civil) No.747 of 2019], the prayer made by petitioner no.1-Society for grant of extension of time to respective medical colleges/ deemed universities for carrying out counselling for P.G. courses on the ground that large number of seats in these colleges were lying vacant, was not accepted.

The Supreme Court held that “merely because the seats are lying vacant”, “is not a ground to grant extension of time and grant further opportunity to fill up vacant seats” and “the schedule must be followed.” It was observed that if violation of schedule is permitted and extension is granted, one “shall be opening a Pandora’s box and the whole purpose of fixing a time schedule and laying down a regime which strictly adheres to time schedule will be defeated.” On facts, noting that in the schedule prescribed, there were three rounds of counselling, the first round, the second round and the mop-up round, the Supreme Court observed that “if some seats remain vacant even after the mop-up round it cannot be helped.” It was held that “extension cannot be granted just because some seats are lying vacant without there being any other justification.”