'Court Cannot Be Unmindful Of The Impact Of Covid': SC Refuses To Disturb Admission Of B-Tech Students Admitted Without Entrance Test

The Court cannot be unmindful of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court observed while refusing to disturb the admission to the students for the B.Tech degree course for academic session 2020-21 on the basis of the marks obtained in the qualifying examinations. The court allowed the institutions to grant admission to the students for the B.Tech degree course for academic session 2020-21 on the basis of the marks obtained in the qualifying examinations. In appeal, the state contended that Section 3 of the Odisha Professional Educational Institutions Act 2007, stipulates that admission of students in all private professional educational institutions, government institutions and The bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud, R. Subhash Reddy and S. Ravindra Bhat noted that the direction by the High Court to the State Government which operates as a mandamus to admit students to the B.Tech Degree courses on the basis of the marks obtained in the qualifying examination is expressly contrary to the terms of Section 3 of the 2007 Act. The court noted that there are 592 students who have taken admission under direct entry and 243 students who have taken admission under lateral entry in the B.Tech degree courses in pursuance of the direction of the High Court.