HC directs Delhi University to decide on representation of applicant seeking admission under sports category

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed Delhi University to decide on the representation of an applicant seeking admission in the varsity under sports category for the academic session 2020-21.

The plea stated that the Delhi University has "arbitrarily denied accepting the provisional Sports Certificate of the petitioner, failing to take into consideration that outbreak of Corona (Covid-19) pandemic and unprecedented lockdown, thereby depriving him of the opportunity to take admission in the Undergraduate Course under the Sports Category for the academic session 2020-2021."

The plea stated that the petitioner/applicant had uploaded Provisional Sports Certificate, but the same was not accepted by the respondent and consequently, he was declared to be not eligible.

The plea also stated that due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown, the printing of Sports Certificates could not be carried out by the government of Madhya Pradesh. Keeping in mind, future of students, the Government of Madhya Pradesh had provided Provisional Sports Certificate to the eligible students.

According to the petitioner, he also approached the Delhi University Grievance Committee in this regard but didn't get any satisfactory response in the matter.

The bench of Justice Prateek Jalan after hearing the submission of the petitioner directed the Delhi University to decide the representation within two weeks while also granting liberty to the petitioner to re-approach the court if the university of Delhi doesn't decide it within a time frame.

According to the petition, petitioner Naman Upadhyay had applied for admission in the Undergraduate (UG) course under the Sports Category of the University of Delhi for the academic Session 2020-2021.

"But due to Covid-19 pandemic, there was unprecedented nationwide lockdown. In the wake of unprecedented circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic and prevailing public health guidelines and social distancing norms, the printing of Sports Certificates could not be carried out by the government of Madhya Pradesh. There was no negligence or procrastination on the part of the petitioner. The petitioner made all attempts to obtain the Sports Certificate but was prevented owing to the Covid-19 situation and lack of printing of Sports Certificates on the part of the Madhya Pradesh government. No fault is attributable to the petitioner," the petition said.

The plea stated that Delhi University has "arbitrarily denied admission to the petitioner without providing any reasons or justifications for such denial of admission in the Undergraduate Course."

The plea alleged that the authorities concerned did not even deem it fit and proper to reply to the grievance and concerns of the petitioner.

"The petitioner herein is aggrieved by the lackadaisical and nonchalant approach on the part of the respondent. The arbitrary action on the part of the respondent has caused irreparable loss to the petitioner," the petition said.

The petitioner is represented by advocates Amit Kumar Sharma, Satyam Singh Rajput, Advocate Shriram Tiwary in the matter.

( With inputs from ANI )