New Delhi, May 30: The Delhi High Court today quashed show-cause notices issued to the Indian Institute of Planning and Management(IIPM) by the All India Council for Technical Eduction (AICTE) for running MBA and BBA courses without its approval, saying the technical body has no jurisdiction over the institution.
"We don't see any merit in the submission of the counsel for the respondent (AICTE). In view of the judgement of the Supreme Court in the case of Association of Management of Pvt colleges, clearly AICTE is not concerned with the courses run by the petitioner (IIPM). As per the findings recorded by the respondent, the petitioner is said to be running MBA, BBA courses. Hence, AICTE would have no jurisdiction"
"In view of the above, we quash the notices of...And the communication of June 20, 2007," the court said.
The court's order came on a writ petition filed by IIPM seeking a direction against AICTE on the ground that the institute is engaged in conducting planning and entrepreneurship courses which are non-professional and non- technical and AICTE's approval is not required to run such courses.
The court accepted the management institute's claim that no diploma or degree in management (BBA and MBA) is awarded by it and these courses do not require any approval of AICTE.
According to IIPM's plea, in January 2004, the technical body had issued a show-cause notice to it and the governing body of technical education was satisfied with its reply filed to the notice.
Again, in December 2005 another show-cause notice was issued on the similar ground ignoring its earlier reply and in March 2007 AICTE had published the name of IIPM in the list of unapproved institutions conducting courses in the field of technical education with foreign collaboration, as per the plea .
In June 2007, AICTE had asked the institution to defer any admission till the institute obtains its approval. Challenging the act of AICTE, IIPM had approached the high court.
