Case Note & Summary
The petitioners, students aspiring for admission to pharmacy courses, filed writ petitions before the Bombay High Court, Aurangabad Bench, alleging that they could not submit their online applications for admission due to a technical glitch in the online application system of the Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education. The petitioners had attempted to apply within the stipulated time but faced technical issues. Consequently, they were unable to secure admission. The court, after hearing the parties, noted that the petitioners were not at fault and that the technical glitch was beyond their control. The court directed the respondents, including the State of Maharashtra and the Deputy Director of Technical Education, to sympathetically consider the petitioners' cases for admission in the current academic year if seats were available, or in the next academic year, without insisting on the last date condition. The court emphasized that equity demands that students should not suffer due to technical failures of the system. The petitions were disposed of with these directions.
Headnote
A) Education Law - Admission - Technical Glitch - Equity - Students who were unable to submit online applications for admission to pharmacy courses due to a technical glitch in the system were held entitled to sympathetic consideration by the authorities - The court directed the respondents to consider the petitioners' cases for admission in the current academic year, if seats are available, or in the next academic year, without insisting on the last date condition (Paras 1-5).
Issue of Consideration
Whether students who could not apply for admission to pharmacy courses due to a technical glitch in the online application system should be granted admission despite the last date having passed.
Final Decision
The court directed the respondents to sympathetically consider the petitioners' cases for admission in the current academic year if seats are available, or in the next academic year, without insisting on the last date condition.
Law Points
- Equity
- Technical glitch
- Admission
- Pharmacy course
- Late application
- Sympathetic consideration
