VIJAYAWADA: Quashing two rules in a government order that enabled the convener to fill up 30% seats under management quota in private unaided degree colleges, the High Court of Andhra Pradesh on Friday allowed the college managements to notify admission to the seats as per the rules and fees fixed by the Andhra Pradesh Higher Education Regulator and Monitoring Commission (APHERMC).
A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and including Justice M Satyanarayana Murthy observed that there was no rationale in the convener filling up the management quota. The court further said that Rule 4(h) of GO 55 allowed discrimination between students admitted under the convener and management quotas.
According to the clause in the GO, those admitted under management quota stood to lose government benefits provided to the students. The high court issued the order based on a writ petition filed by Rayalaseema Degree Colleges’ Management Association that challenged the GO. Later, Mala Mahanadu Joint Action Committee president Gurram Rama Rao filed a public interest litigation on the issue.
After hearing arguments the court had reserved the judgement.
On Friday, issuing the verdict, Justice Murthy cited the Supreme Court judgement in PA Immandar case, saying college managements were empowered to fill the seats under the management quota. He observed that under the management quota, the management could collect more fees that could be used for bettering infrastructure facilities and standards.