Bisheshwar Dayal Sinha v. University of Bihar & Ors.

M. J. C. No. 86 of 1963.

M. C. Setalvad, R. K. Garg, D. P. Singh, S. C. Agarwal and M. K. Ramamurthy, for the appellant.

C. K. Daphtary, Attorney-General, and S. P. Varma, for the respondent Nos. 1, 2 and 4.

S. C. Agarwal, R. K. Garg, D. P. Singh and M. K. Rama-murthy, for respondent No. 5.

Sarjoo Prasad, S. L. Chhibber and B. P. Jlia, for respon-dent No. 8.

D. Goburdhun, for respondent No. 16.

S. P. Varma, for intervener No. I.

Dipak Datta Choudhri and A. K. Nag, for intervener No. 2.

April 24, 1964. The judgment of the Court was delivered by ' G•}•nd""JQ<lkar, C.J. GAJENDRAGADKAR, C. J.- The writ petition from which

this appeal by special leave arises had been filed by the appel-lant Bisheshwar Dayal Sinha by which he challenged the validity of the order issued by the Vice-Chancellor of the Bihar University directing the recbnstitution of the Govern-ing Body of the Rajendra College, Chapra, and of the rele-vam new statutes framed by him under which the said order is purported to have been issued. His case was that the relevant new statutes are ultra vires the authority of the Vice-Chan-19G4 cellor and the impugned order passed by him in pursuance Bislieshwar Dayal of. the said relevant statutes is, therefore, illegal, inoperative Sinha and void. Along with the petition filed by the - appellant, four V-University of other petitions had been filed by other persons seeking to Biluir a1ui Otliera obtain similar relief. The Patna High Court ha.s, in subs~nce,Gaj•ndragadkar,C.J, rejected the appellant's case and has accordmgly d1sm1ssed the appellant's writ petition as well as the other petitions filed by other persons. On behalf of the appellant, Mr. Setal-vad has contended that the view taken by the Patna High Court about the validity of the relevant statutes is not sus-tainable and that the said statutes are ultra vires with the inevitable consequence that the impugned order directing the reconstitution of the Governing Body of the Rajendra College must also be held to be invalid.

The Rajendra College is an educational institution which has been admitted by the Bihar University as a College, as defined in section 2(d) of the Bihar State Universities (Patna, University of Bihar, Bhagalpur and Ranchi) Aet (Bihar Act XIV of 1960) (hereinafter called 'the Act') read with Article I of Chapter XII of the Statutes framed under the Act. The said college is a public institution founded by public charities and is conducted under the management of a Governing Body. The first Governing Body of the College was formed by the citizens of Chapra who had assembled for that pur-pose in a meeting on the 31st July 1938. The Governing Body thus constituted consisted of 18 members; it continued to function until the 24th July, 1940, with additions in the personnel made from time to time by co-option. Later. in 1941, the Governing Body adopted a constitution framed by the Principal of the College at its request and that constitu-tion governed the administration of the colle~e. In due course, some further amendments were made in !950. After the passing of the University of Bihar Act, 1951 (Bihar Act XXVII of 1951) and. the framing of Chapter XIII of the Statutes. under the said. Act: the University suggested to the Gover!'mg Body to bnng its constitution in line witil the prov!~1on~ of Chapter XI~! of said Statutes. Accordingly, m0.d1ticatlons w~re made 111 the constitution, and the consti-tution .thus modified and amended from time to time was in operation at the relevant time.

. The appellant had been elected Secretary to the Govern-ing Body on the 3rd of June, 1961, and under the relevant rvles of the constitution, his term of office wa$ to be three academic sesst?ns, and as such, it was to last until 31st May, 1964. Meanwhile, by the impugned order passed by the Vice-Chancellor on th~ 13t~ !anuary, 1963, the appellant has been removed _from. his P?Stlt?n as Secretary and another person has been appomted m his place. That is the reason why the 196.J appellant moved the Patna High Court for appropriate writ t BishMha·ar Dayal or order quashing the impugned order and the relevant s~a-

Sinlia tutes on which it purports to be based. To his writ petition, Unive~;ity of the appellant impleaded 18 persons amongst them being !lihar and Othu" respondent No. I, the University of Bihar, respondent No. 2 Ga'e1ulra--:11car C.J. Mr. Srivastava, Vice-Chancellor of the University. of !3ihar,

ya ' and respondent No. 3 the Chancellor of the Umvers1ty of

Bihar.

Before dealing with the contentions raised by the a ppel-lant in the present appeal, it is necessary to refer briefly to the relevant statutory provisions governing the affairs of the University of Bihar and its constituent colleges. The first Act to which reference must be made is the Universitv of Bihar Act (Bihar Act _XXVII of 1951). This Act was· passed in August, 1951, and the provisions enacted by it were intended to furnish a comprehensive code to establish and incorporate an affiliating-cum-teaching University in the State of Bihar at Patna. In 1960, Bihar Act XIV of 1960, which we are des-cribing as the Act in the course of this judgment, came to be passed. This Act was intended to help the establishment aud incorporation of affiliating-cum-teaching Universities at 7atna, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur and Ranchi in the State of Bihar. This Act was later amended by Acts II of 1962. XIII of 1962, and XVII of 1962. The first of these Amending Acts came into force on the Isl of March, 1962; the second on 21st April, 1962 and the third on the 16th October, 1962.

At this stage, we m,ay conveniently mention the relevant provisions of the Act. Section 2(d) defines a "college~ as meaning an institution admitted to or maintained by the Uni-versity, in accordance with the provisions of the Act, in which instruction is given, subject to the provisions contained in cl. (15) of s. 4, lo the students of the college up to and in-cluding a standard below the post-graduate standard under conditions prescribed in the Statutes. This definition shows that the Act applies to two categories of colleges, the first category consisting of collegiate institutions admitted to the University. and the other maintained by the University. Sec-tion 4 prescribes the purposes and powers of the University. Section 4(] 0) provides that one of the purposes and powers of the University is to institute, maintain and manage colleges and hostels and to recognise colleges and hostels not main-tained by the University. This provision brings out the fact that two kinds of collegiate institutions would be functioning under the University-those that are instituted by the Uni-versity, and those that are admitted. In regard to the first category of colleges, the power and purposes of the Univer-sity would be to institute, maintain and manage the colleges and hostels, and in regard to the other, the power and pur-pose would be to recognise them, subject, of course, to the conditions imposed in that behalf. For the purpose of dealing 1964 with the main controversy between the parties in the present Bi•h .. hwur Dayal appeal. it is necessary to bear in mind this distincrion between Sinha two categories of collegiate instituticms functioning under Unive;;;111 of the Bihar University. Biharand Other•

Section 7 prescribes the Officers of the University whb G•jemlmgadkar,C.J. are: the Chancellor; the Vice-Chancellor; the Treasurer; the Registrar; the Deans of Faculties; the Finance Officer and such other persons as may be declared by the Statutes to be the officers of the University. Section 16 defines the authori-ties of the University which are six; they are: the Senate; the Syndicate; the Academic Council; the Faculties; the Exami-nation Board; and such other authorities as may be declared by the Statutes to be the authorities of the University. Section 20 deals with powers and duties of the Senate. Under s. 20(1).

the Senate shall be the supreme governing body of the Uni-versity and shall have the entire management of. and superin-tendence over. the affairs, concerns and property of the University; shall exercise all the powers of the University, not otherwise provided for, to give effect to the provisions of the Act. Section 20(2) prescribes in particular some of the powers and duties of the Senate; amongst them is included the powe1 of making the Statutes. and amending or repealing the same.

Section 21 deals with the Syndicate and its composition; and s. 22 prescribes the powers and duties of the Syndicate.

Section 30 deals with statutes. Section 30(d) provides !hat subject to the provisions of the Act, the Statutes may provide for the admission of educational institutions as col-leges and the withdrawal of privileges from colleges so admit-ted; and s. 30(e) provides that the statutes may provide for the institution of colleges and hostels and their maintenance and management. It would thus be seen that proceeding on the basis of the broad distinction between collegial~ institu-tions instituted by the University and those admitted 'or re-cognise:! by,it, s. 30 makes two separate provisions in that .

behalf. In regard to the institutions admitted or recognised, the St.atutes .can provide for the admission or recognition of such ms~1tut10ns and the withdrawal of such recognition, whereas in regard to the institutions instituted by the Univer-sity, the Statutes may provide for the institution of such colleges and their maintenance and management.

Section 49 deals with the prbblem of relations of affiliat-ed c'?lleges with the University, and it provides that the said rek!t1ons shall b.e governed by the. Statutes to be made in tha! behalf. and 11 prescnbes in particular some of the matters which may be covered by the said Statutes .

. Section 60 prov.ides for the continuance of Statutes, Ordinances, Regulat10ns and Rules which were in force

under the Bihar Acts XXV and XXVII of 1961. Section 60 Biihe•hwar Duyal (ii) empowers the Vice-Chancellor to make adaptations or

Sinha modifications in the said Statutes, Ordinances, Regulations Univc;;;iy of and Rules with the approval of the Chancdlor in so far as Bihor and Otltm they are not inconsistent with the provisions of the Act, and

d adka J when such adaptations or modifications are made, they would

0 ·be deemed to have been made under the appropriate provi-aJ"' 'tlfl '' ·

sions of the Act. In other words, while continuing the ope-ration of the pre-existing Statutes, power has been conferred on the Vice-Chancellor to make adaptations or modifications in the said Statutes, subject to the conditions which we have just indicated. This provision came into force on the 1st March, 1962 by virtue of the amending provision prescribed oy Act II of 1962.

There is one more provision to which reference must be made before we part with this topic. Section 35 of Act II of 1962 provides for dissolution of the Senate, Syndicate and Academic Council functioning prior to the commena::ment of the _said Act and constitution of new Senate, Syndicate and Academic Council in their place. It provides that not-withstanding anything contained in the Bihar Act XIV of 1960, the respective bodies established under s. 3 of the said Act in regard to the Universities covered by the Act shall stand dissolved on the commencement of this Act and there-after, as soon as may be, they shall be reconstituted, and pending their reconstitution, the Vice-Chancellor shall exer-cise their powers and perform their duties under the said Act for a period not exceeding nine months from such commence-ment. The result of this provision is to authorise the Vice-Chancellor to exercise the powers and functions of the res-pective bodies which. stood dissolved, for nine months from the date of the operation of this Amending Act, or until the said bodies were duly reconstituted. It is by virtue of the power conferred on him by this section that the Vice-Chan-cellor has purported to frame new Statutes some of which are challenged in the present proceedings and has issued the impugned order in pnrsuance of the said new Statutes. That, in brief, is the position with regard to the statutory provisions in the light of which the dispute between the parties has to be settled in the present appeal.

The two statutes whi£h have been challenged before us may now be set out. This body of new Statutes came to be pro-mulgated on the 18th November, 1962. After they were thus promulgated, the Registrar of the University of Bihar wrote to the Secretaries and Principals of all Admitted Colleges, except Constituent and Government College~. enquiring from them what action had to be taken by the Vice-Chancellor or the Syndicate in regard to the constitution of the. Governing Body of the respective Colleges and the appointment of Office-bearers. The new Statutes consist of 24 clauses, but for the purpose of the present appeal, we are ·concerned only with Bi<hu;wa,;. Dayal two of them. Clause 2, sub-clause (4) provides: "in the case ·~. of the constitution of the Governing Bodies of admitted col- .un;..,..,;i& of leges (except colleges owned and maintained by Government) B•har ~ ,_ framed prior to the making of these Statutes, the Vice-Chan-a.;mc1raga<1hr,O.J. cellor shall have the power to amend or revise the constitu-tion wherever necessary in order to bring it, as far as possi-ble, in conformity with the provisions of these Statutes"

Gause 3(1) reads thus: -

"The Syndicate may on its motion or at the instance

of the Vice-Chancellor dissolve and order consti-tution of Governing Body in admitted colleges or cancel its grant-in-aid to the college concerned for any one or more of the following reasons:

(a) that the college has failed to comply with the

directions issued by the Syndicate under the laws of the University within the specified time;

<b) that the college has failed to observe the pro-

visions of the laws of the University;

(c) improper utilisation of the various funds of the

institution;

(d) that the affairs of the college have been. grossly

mismanaged.

Provided, however, that before ordering dissolution of

the Governing Body or before passing such order against the Governing Body the Syndicate shall give a reasonable opportunity to the Governing Body to show cause against such action."

It is clear that cl. 2(4) of the new Statutes expressly confers on the Vice-Chancellor the power to amend or revise the constitution of the affiliated colleges; and cl. 3(1) empowers the Syndicate to dissolve and order constitution of their Governing Bodies either on it~ own motion or at the instance of the Vice-Chancellor. Gause 3(1) also empowers the Syn-dicate to cancel its grant-in-aid to the college concerned for one or more of the four reasons specified by it. The proviso to cl. 30) requires that before the dissolution of the Govern-ing ·Body is ordered, or any similar order is passed under cl.

3(1), reasonable opportunity has to be given to the Govern-ing Body to show cause why such action should not be taken.

In substance, the High Court has come to the conclusion that these two Statutes and the impugned order are valid.

According to the High Court, the impugned order cannot be justified under Statute 3(1) because an opportunity had not 1961 been given to the Governing Body of the Rajendra College Bia/iuhtMr Dayal as required by the proviso. It has, how.::vcr, held that the

Binlta · impugned order is valid having regard to the powers confer-u.;.,.;;ity of red on the Vice-Chan~llor under Statute 2(4). It also appears Bihar awl Otlwra that the High Court took the view that the impugned Statutes ·...iragac11:a J can be justified by reason of the fact that power has been •3 0 ·conferred on the Vice-Chancellor to make adaptation or

'· ·

modifications in the pre-existing Statutes by s. 60(ii).

The question which arises for our decision is whether the impugned Statute 2(4)' is valid, and if yes, whether the impugned order is justified. We may also have to decide whe-ther the impugned Statute 3(1) is invalid either wholly or in part. The question as to whether the power to make adapta-tions or modifications justifies the impugned order presents no difficulty, because we have come to the conclusion that the impugned Statute 2(4) is itself invalid, and so, the impugn-ed order must be struck down on that ground. If the statute, on the authority of which the impugned order has been passed· is itself invalid, the power to make adaptations and modifica-tions cannot help to sustain the validity of the impugned ·order. The power to make adaptations and modifications con-ferred on the Vice-Chancellor by s. 60(ii) of the Act must be read in the light of the substantive provisions contained in s. 30(d) in regard to affiliate4 college, and they cannot obviously justify the impugned order ·if the impugned Statute 2(4) itself is invalid. This position cannot be disputed, and so, we go back to the question as to whether the impugned . statute 2(4) is valid.

The decision of this question presents also no difficulty. because, on the face of it, the impugned statute is inconsis-tent with the relevant provisions of the Act. It will be recalled that the Act proceeds on a broad and well-recognised distinc-tion between two categories of collegiate institutions, one instituted by the University and the other admitted to the University or affiliated to it. Section 4(10) of the Act is based on this distinction, and s. 30(d) & (e) also proceed on the same distinction. Where the University instituted collegiate institutions, naturally the task of instituting is the task of the University, and so, the management and the maintenance of the said institutions is also the University's responsibility. The position is substantially different where collegiate insti-tutions are started by other autonomous bodies and they seek admission or affiliation to the University. In regard to this class of collegiate institutions, their institution as well ,.... as their management and maintenance is not the direct con-cern of the University; that is the concern of the autonomous educational bodies which have sponsored them and which have undertaken the task of instituting, managing and main-taining them. It is, of course, true that when admitting or affiliating such institutions, the University can impose reason-1964 able and legitimate conditions subject to the provisions of Bishuhwar Dayal the Act, and it follows that on the failure of such college Sinha either to conform to those conditions or on their committing u,.;.,~;;ty 0t4,,. of breach of any of those conditions, it would be competent to Bihor and the University under its relevant powers to disaffiliate them a . _, -'1:a a.J and deny them the status of adm1tte · d co II eges; b ut t h' 1s power a.ie-rag~ r, is very different from the power to constitute the Governing Bodies of such autonomous educational bodies. The Univer-sity may insist upon the observance of conditions in respect of the composition of the Governing Bodies, but it cannot direct the composition of the Governing Bodies itself; the two powers are distinct and separate. Whereas in the case of institutions started by the University, the University has to decide who would constitute the Governing ·Bodies, in the case of affiliated institutions, the University can only lay down conditions and regulations which must be satisfied before the Governing Bodies are constituted; who should constitute the Governing Bodies is a matter for the autonomous educa-tional bodies, which spons0r the collegiate institutions, to decide; how they should be formed, on what principle, and on what basis, are matters which may well form the subject-matter of conditions imposed by the University while admit-ting such colleges or affiliating them. This position, in our opinion, is plain and has to be borne in mind in considering the validity of the impugned Statute 2(4).

Now, what does the said statute purport to do? It pur-ports to authorise the Vice-Chancellor lo amend or revise the constitution wherever it is necessary. It would be noticed that this power is inconsistent with s. 30(d) of the Act. It is a power which can be exercised under s. 30(e), but that would ha".e relati~n only to collegiate institutions started by the Umvers1ty itself. It can have no relevance to affiliated col-leges. If Statute 2(4) had merely authorised the Vice-Chancel-lor to lay ?own conditions as to how the Governing Bodies of the affihated colleges should be constituted, it would have been another m~tter. The Un!".ersity can effectively bring about a change m the compos1tlon of the Governinu Bodies of affiliated collc:ges if it is thought necessary and desirable to do so under its relevant powers. but that must inevitablv take the form of prescribing general conditions in that behaif an.d· leavin.g. it to the affiliated colleges to comply with the said cori~1t10ns .. N~~-compliance with the said conditions ~ay entall the .h~b1hty to be disaffiliated; but that is very d1ff~ren~ from g1vmg the power to the Vice-Chancellor of the Um~ers1ty to mak.e the necessary changes in the Governing ~od1es of the affiliated colleges itself. It is plain as we have JUst seen, that this power is inconsistent with s. '30(d) of the Act and as such, is invalid.

888 SUPREME COURT R'EPORTS [1964]

1964 How this power has been worked out is evident from the Bi•hes/,war Dayal impugned order itself. This order purports to direct the re-

8~• constitution of the Governing Body of the Rajendra College University a/ with immediate effect in order to bring it in conformity with Bihar and Others the provisions of the new Statutes. Then, it virtually purports Gajendragadkar O.J. to nominate some members of the Governing Body. It provides

' that two staff representatives would continue on the Govern-

ing Body as at present. Then, it adds five persons to the said Governing Body. Then, it purports to make a change in regard to the three seats reserved for the Founders, Donors, Benefactors or Sponsors, and nominates three persons in that behalf. It also directs that the co-opted member Mr. Bishwa-nath Prasad Mishra will also continue till the fresh co-option is held; then it nominates Mr. Ganga Prasad Sinha, Advocate, Chapra, as the Secretary of the Governing Body of the Col-lege with immediate effect. Thus, it is plain that the power conferred on the Vice-Chancellor by statute 2(4) has been exercised by him by not only directing how the Governing Body should be constituted on principle, but by nominating different persons on the Governing Body. The basis on which a Governing Body should be constituted is very different from nominating several persons on the said Governing Body. It is the latter course which has been adopted by the Vice-Chan-cellor and which is inconsistent with s. 30(d) of the Act. At this stage, it is necessary to add that the cour~e adopted by the Vice-Chancellor in the present case is als6 inconsistent with Statute 2(4) itself. The said Statute merely authorises the Vice-Chancellor to amend or revise the constitution of the Governing Bodies of admitted colleges whenever neces-sary, and as we have already held, even the conferment of this power is ultra vires. the Statute. But what the Vice-Chancellor has done has gone beyond even Statute 214); he has not only amended or revised the constitution of the Governing Body, but has also nominated certain persons on it. Thus, this action of the Vice-Chancellor suffers from the double infirmity that it is inconsistent even with Statute 2(4) and is purported to have been issued under Statute 2(4) which itself is invalid. Unfortunately, the High Court appears to have failed to take into account the basic difference bet-ween the two categories of collegiate institutions, and the powers conferred on the University severally in respect of them. The view taken by the High Court about the validity of Statute 2(4) completely obliterates the difference between the two kinds of collegiate institutions and treats all colle-giate institutions, whether instituted by the University, or affiliated to it, as falling completely under the manageme~1t of the University itself. We accordingly hold that Statute 2(4) is invalid, and the impugned order passed under it is, therefore, invalid and inoperative.

Then, as to statute 3(1), the Syndicate may have the 1964 power to cancel its grant-in-aid to the callege concerned, but Biskesh:;; Dayal in so far as 3(l)(a) seems to contemplate that if the affiliated Sinka college refuses to submit to the order passed by the Syndicate u . v •. dissolving and ordering reconstitution of its Governing Body, a;h:,~"::d.$/f,,. 1 the pena.lty of the cancellation of grant-in-aid may follow, . - it must be held that that part of Statute 3(1) is invalid. It Ga;endragadkar,O.J. would b~ open to the University to direct that the composi-tion of the Governing Body should conform to conditions which may be changed by the University under its relevant powers and if the said conditions are not duly complied with by the affiliated college or its Governing Body, suitable and permissible action may be taken; but in so far as Statute 3 (I) procr:eds on the basis that the Syndicate can itself dis-solve the: Governing Body and order its reconstitution, it suffers from the same infirmity as Statute 2(4). That is why we hold that Statute 3(1) in so far as it gives power to the Syndicate to dissolve and reconstitute the Governing Body and enables it to cancel its grant-in-aid to an affiliated college under 3(J!)(a) for the reason that the direction issued by the Syndicate in that behalf has not been complied with, is invalid.

The learned Attorney-General has relied on· the fact that the Vice-Chancellor was compelled to pass the impugned order, because the affairs of the Rajendra College were mis-managed and a very grave situation arose as a result of which the authorities were faced with a serious law and order pro-blem. In that connection, he invited our attention to the· statements made in the impugned order in regard to the back-ground of circumstances which compelled the issue of that order. These statements were, however, disputed by the appellant in his writ petition. The High Court has not con-sidered the question as to whether the statements made in the impugned order are proved to be true and we propose to ex-press no opinion on that aspect of the matter ourselves. We are, however, prepared t.:> assume that the Vice-Chancellor ~elt con_ipelled to issue the order and that he acted bonafide m the mterests of the students studying in the Rajendi'a· College. It is quite possible that the affairs of an affiliated college may be mismanaged and a situation may arise where either-the University or the Vice-Chancellor may feel justified in taking drastic action to save the situation, because, after-all, in dealing with the problem of efficient management of affiliated colleges, th7 consideration of paramount importance must always be the mter7sts of the students studying in such college~; an.d so,. theoretically, there can be no objection to the Um~ers1ty bemg empowered to take suitable and reason-able action to meet emergencies arising from mismanagement of affiliated colleges which expose the students to the grave 1964 risk of interruption in their smooth academic work. But the Bis4es/•war Dayal question which we have to decide in the present appeal is not

Sinka whether the University or the Vice-Chancellor should not u v have such power; the question is whether such a power can Bi,.;'.~~;,:) 1 l/;lf,,. be claimed by the Statute under the provisions of the Act,

-- and that question, in our opinion, admits oj only one answer 11•Jewdragadkar,O.J. under the Act as it now stands. The Legislature may consider

whether any suitable amendment should be made in that behalf. That, however, is irrelevant to the point with which we are concerned.

There is another consideration which we may inciden-tally mention in this connection. The autonomous bOdies which institute colleges and help the progress of higher edu-cation in this country, are generally run by disinterested persons, and it is of some importance that the autonomy of such bodies should not be unduly impaired. When colleges run by such autonomous bodies seek affiliation to a Univer-sity, the University undoubtedly has a right to impose reason-able conditions for affiliation and normally, the supervision exercised by the University over the affairs and administration of its affiliated colleges effectively serves the purpose of requiring the said colleges to conform to the pattern of mana-gement and education in force in the Government colleges or colleges instituted by the University. In resolving a possi-ble dispute between affiliated colleges and the University, attempt should be made to respect the autonomy of the col-leges and reconcile the same with the supervisory powers ot the University which are intended to be exercised in order to make functioning of the affiliated colleges efficient and progressive. Both the University and the affiliated colleges seek to serve the cause of higher education and there should really be no serious dispute as to the principles on which their mutual relations should be regulated. Unfortunately, in the present case, the Vice-Chancellor appears to have acted with some haste and he has ·exercised powers under Statutes which were themselves hastily framed and which are plainly inconsistent with the provisions of the parent Act.

There is one more point to which we must refer before we part with this appeal. The validity of the Statutes was challenged by the appellant on the additional ground that when they were made by the Vice-Chancellor, the power con-ferred on him by s. 35 of Act II of 1962 had come to an end. The said section empowered Jhe Vice-Chancellor to exercise the powers bf the appropriate Bodies of the University for a period not exceeding nine months, or until the respective Bodies were reconstituted. The appellant's case before the High Court was that the Senate had heen reconstituted in the first week of November, 1962 and in fact. notices had been issued to call for a meeting of the said Senate on the 30th November. That being so, with the reconstitution of the l964 Senate the statutory power of the Vice-Chancellor under s. Bis/i"hwar Dayal 35 came to an end, and so, the Statutes which were promul-Sin/1a gated on the 18th November, 1962 were invalid. The High un;,.,;;,,Y of Court has rejected this contention mainly on the ground that Biha1tmd Other• the Senate was not duly constituted even on the 30th Novem- . -- ber, 1962 "inasmuch as the application of Mr. Baleshwar 0•;ewiragadkar,O.J. Prasad Choudhary filed in the High Court was still pending and the question had still to be decided as to whether he was entitled to be a member of the Senate as being a donor of the Dalsingsarai College". The High Court thought that since an order of stay had been passed by it, there could b;:

no meeting of the Senate even on the 30th November, 1962, and so, after address of the Chancellor, the meeting had to be adjourned. It appears that the stay order passed by the High Court was in relation to the direction issued by the Chancellor prohibiting Baleshwar Prasad Choudhary from acting as a member of the Senate and that strictly may not have a material bearing on the question as to whether the Senate had been properly constituted before the 18th Novem-ber, 1962 or not. The appellant's case is that since a meeting of the new Senate had been called for the 30th November, by a notice issued in that behalf on the 8th November, it postulates that the Senate had been duly constituted before . the 8th of November and for the proper reconstitut.ion of the Senate, it was not necessary that it should actually hold its first meeting. On the other hand, the learned Attorney-Gene-ral contends that the material adduced on the record of these proceedings is wholly insufficient to justify the finding that the Senate had been duly constituted bdore the 18th Novem-ber, 1962. We are satisfied that the contention raised by the Attorney-General is sound·. On the available material, we see no evidence on which it could be held that a Senate had been reconstituted on any particular date, and so, we q.o not propose to record any conclusion on this part of the ·appel-lant's case. All that we would like to add is that the finding of the High Court on this point should not be taken to be binding, and if in future this question arises, it may have to be decided on the merits afresh.

The result is, the appeal is allowed, the order passed by the High Court is set aside, and the writ petition filed by the appellant is allowed. An order will accordingly be issued restraining the respondents from giving effect to the impugned order (Annexure A), because the said order, and Statute 2(4) and a part of Statute 3(1) on which it is based are invalid and inoperative. The appellant would be entitled to his costs from respondent No. 1 throughout. · Appeal allowed.

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 279' of 1964. Appeal by special leave from the judgment and order dated December 23, 1963 of the Patna High Court in