In a significant judgment, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld the validity of part-time B.Tech (Civil Engineering) degrees awarded by Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology (DCRUST), Murthal. The court declared these degrees to be equivalent to regular courses for the purpose of government job promotions.
“Once a degree is awarded by a duly recognized institution, its recognition or equivalence is for the employer to decide. Courts should not judge the standards of such degrees unless serious irregularities are proven.” – High Court quoting the Supreme Court’s 1982 ruling
A division bench comprising Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice H.S. Grewal passed the order. They referred to a past Supreme Court judgment (Dr. B. L. Asawa vs State of Rajasthan, 1982) to stress that courts must not interfere in the academic standards set by recognized institutions unless there is clear misconduct.
The court highlighted that the B.Tech (Civil Engineering) part-time programme was:
- Approved by the university’s academic and executive councils
- Recognized by the State Government
- Not a distance education course
- Conducted with physical attendance and full curriculum equivalent to regular B.Tech programmes
- Launched in 2011 as a weekend course, renamed in 2013 as a part-time evening course
- Meant for working professionals, especially state government employees, who attended classes after office hours
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“We find that all the courses run by the university must be treated as regular. The three-year course and the four-year part-time course are equal in all respects.” – Division Bench
The court also relied on a 2020 AICTE notification, which clarified that technical courses with physical attendance—even in part-time, weekend, or evening shifts—are to be treated as regular programmes.
The judgment came while hearing a group of appeals filed by several Junior Engineers (JEs). These individuals had enrolled in the part-time B.Tech course after securing departmental permission, but their degrees were invalidated in 2022 by a single judge's order. The JEs then approached the Division Bench for relief.
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“The State Government showed a progressive approach by allowing its employees to enhance their education and technical skills.” – High Court
The bench further examined the AICTE Act and cited another key case:
Bharathidasan University vs AICTE [2001 (8) SCC 676], where the Supreme Court had held that universities do not need prior AICTE approval to start technical courses, as they are not classified as ‘technical institutions’ under the Act.
“The university being a State university does not require AICTE’s prior approval. The part-time B.Tech degree stands at par with a regular degree in terms of curriculum, faculty, and infrastructure.” – Bench observation
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Based on these findings, the court set aside the earlier judgment and directed that:
- The petitioners (JEs) must be considered for promotion based on seniority
- They should receive all related benefits from the date their juniors were promoted
