WP/12891/2026 of PGP EDUCATIONAL AND WELFARE SOCIETY Vs UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION
W.P.No.12891 of 2026
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 02-04-2026
CORAM
THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE M.DHANDAPANI
W.P.No.12891 of 2026
PGP Educational & Welfare Society
Rep. by its Secretary, No.59
Sterling Road, Nungambakkam
Chennai 600034.
Educational Agency
PGP College of Engineering & Technology
NH-7, Namakkal - Karur Main Road,
Paramathi Velur, Namakkal 637207.
...Petitioner
Vs
1. University Grants Commission
Represented by its Secretary
Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg,
New Delhi-110002.
2. The Registrar, Anna University
Sardar Patel Road, Chennai-600025.
...Respondents
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PETITION under Article 226 of The Constitution of India praying
for the issuance of a Writ of Mandamus directing the 2nd respondent
University to notify the autonomous status granted to the petitioner
college by the 1st respondent University Grants Commission vide order in
No.F.2-10/2023 (AC-Policy) dated 23.2.2026 for a period of five years
from 2026-2027 to 2030-2031 as per Clause 4.2 of University Grants
Commission (Conferment of Autonomous Status upon Colleges and
Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Autonomous Colleges)
Regulations 2023 forthwith.
For Petitioner: Mr.D.Prabhu Mukunth Arunkumar
For Respondents: Mr.B.Rabu Manohar, CGSC for R1
Mr.U.Baranidharan,
Standing Counsel for R2
ORDER
This is a petition filed by the petitioner seeking a direction t o the
second respondent to notify autonomous status granted to the petitioner
college by the first respondent vide order dated 23.2.2026 for a period of
five years from 2026-27 to 2030-31 as per Clause 4.2 of the University
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Grants Commission (Conferment of Autonomous Status upon Colleges
and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Autonomous Colleges)
Regulations, 2023 (for short, the Regulations) forthwith.
2. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner, the learned Centr al
Government Standing Counsel accepting notice for the first respondent
and the learned Standing Counsel accepting notice for the second
respondent.
3. The case of the petitioner is as follows:
(i) Pursuant to the approval granted by the All India Council for
Technical Education (AICTE) dated 29.6.1999 and the affiliation grante d
by the Periyar University dated 05.4.1999, the petitioner college was
started. It is now affiliated to the second respondent. It has been
functioning for more than 25 years continuously with the approval of the
AICTE and the affiliation from the second respondent from time to time.
It has also been accredited by the National Assessment and Accredi tation
Council vide certificate of accreditation dated 23.5.2024. It has been
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included in the list of colleges by the first respondent under Section 2(f)
of the University Grants Commission Act under the non-government
college teaching upto Master’s degree vide order dated 10.10.2025.
(ii) Having the requisite infrastructural and instructional facilities as
per Regulation 6 of the Regulations, the petitioner college submitted an
application to the first respondent for conferment of autonomous status
from the academic year 2026-27. The first respondent conferred
autonomous status to the petitioner college vide order dated 23.2.2026 for
a period of five years from 2026-27 to 2030-31 as per Clause 7.4 of the
Regulations with a direction to the second respondent to issue necessary
notification within 30 days regarding the grant of autonomous status to
the petitioner college based on the Regulations. A copy of the order
conferring autonomous status to the petitioner college was also
communicated to the second respondent.
(iii) On receipt of the copy of the order dated 23.2.2026, the
petitioner college sent a representation dated 25.2.2026 to the second
respondent to notify the conferment of autonomous status as per the
orders of the first respondent. However, the second respondent has not yet
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issued the relevant notification. Though law on this issue has already been
settled, nothing was forthcoming. Hence the writ petition.
4. This Court has carefully considered the submissions of the
learned counsel on either side and perused the materials available on
record.
5. As rightly contended by the learned counsel for the petitioner,
the law on this issue is well settled.
6. This Court, by order dated 28.10.2025 in W.P.No.40800 of 2025
held as follows:
“7. Insofar as the conferment of autonomous
status is concerned, is is a power that has been
conferred to UGC and this position of law has been
confirmed by the Apex Court. Apart from that, this
Court in a recent order in W.P.Nos.35, 38 and 39 of
2025 dated 05.02.2025 reiterated the said position. It
was further confirmed in appeal in W.A.No.2514 of
2025 etc., batch dated 02.09.2025. It is brought to the
notice of this Court that the order dated 02.09.2025 of
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Hon'ble Division Bench has been further confirmed by
Hon'ble Apex Court by dismissing SLP that was filed by
the second respondent on 15.10.2025. In the light of the
above, the second respondent University have to
necessarily notify the autonomous status of the
petitioner College which has been pending for more
than a year. Hence, the second respondent is directed to
act upon the application submitted by the petitioner on
09.09.2024 and notify the petitioner College conferring
autonomous status as per orders of the first respondent.
This process shall be completed by the second
respondent within a period of four weeks from the date
of receipt of a copy of this order.”
7. In the light of the said order dated 28.10.2025, this writ petition
is disposed of with a direction to the second respondent University t o act
upon the representation sent by the petitioner on 25.2.2026 and notify the
petitioner College conferring autonomous status as per orders of the fir st
respondent. This process shall be completed by the second respondent
within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this
order. No costs.
02-04-2026
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Index: Yes/No
Speaking/Non-speaking order
Neutral Citation: Yes/No
To
1. University Grants Commission
Represented by its Secretary
Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg,
New Delhi-110002.
2. The Registrar, Anna University
Sardar Patel Road, Chennai 600025.
RLI
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M.DHANDAPANI, J.
RLI
W.P.No.12891 of 2026
02-04-2026
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