Court intervenes to halt counselling schedule, addressing prolonged delays and non-compliance by the State in processing educational institutions' NOC applications.
In a significant development, the Rajasthan High Court has intervened to stay the counselling and allotment schedule for B.Sc. Nursing, D.Pharm, and B.P.T courses as notified by the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS) under its CUET-2026 program. The decision comes in response to petitions highlighting the State's prolonged delays and non-compliance in processing applications for No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for educational institutions, despite clear guidelines and previous court directives.
The judgment was rendered by Justice Mukesh Rajpurohit, who presided over a series of writ petitions filed by educational institutions, including Vivekanand Vidya Ashram Sansthan. The institutions had sought judicial intervention against the State's inaction on their pending NOC applications, which had remained unresolved for over one and a half years, despite a policy mandating a 90-day processing period.
The court took a stern view of the State's delay, noting the prejudicial impact on institutions that have invested significantly in infrastructure and were at risk of losing another academic year. In its order, the court emphasized the importance of adhering to the policy timelines and previous court rulings, specifically referencing the Division Bench's judgment in the Fortune Foundation case, which mandated that NOC applications be resolved at least 45 days before the commencement of the counselling process.
Notably, the court's decision to stay the counselling process was influenced by the notification issued on June 11, 2026, by RUHS, which outlined the counselling schedule without resolving the pending NOC applications. The court observed that proceeding with admissions under such circumstances would cause irreparable harm to the petitioner institutions and undermine their legitimate expectations.
The Additional Advocate General, representing the State, assured the court of imminent action to resolve the pending NOC applications. However, the court deemed it necessary to suspend the counselling process until the next hearing, scheduled for July 15, 2026, to ensure compliance with judicial directives and safeguard the interests of the institutions involved.
This judgment underscores the judiciary's role in enforcing administrative accountability and ensuring that procedural delays do not thwart educational institutions' operations and students' academic pursuits.
Bottom line:-
Delay in processing applications for No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for educational institutions despite specific guidelines and court directives may result in irreparable prejudice to the institutions, warranting judicial intervention to suspend related admission processes until resolution of pending applications.
Statutory provision(s): Education Law, Administrative Law, Judicial Intervention
Vivekanand Vidya Ashram Sansthan v. State of Rajasthan, (Rajasthan) : Law Finder Doc id # 2933135
