Karnataka State Open University v. Sarbjeet Kaur,

NC:(2026:KHC:10443-DB( WA(No.(7(of(2026( ( , ,,HC-KAR( ( (

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

THDATED THIS THE 19 DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026

PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE AND THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA WRIT APPEAL NO. 7 OF 2026 (EDN-RES) BETWEEN:

KARNATAKA STATE OPEN UNIVERSITY

MUKTHAGANGOTRI, MYSORE 570 006. REP. BY ITS REGISTRAR.

…APPELLANT (BY SRI. T P RAJENDRA KUMAR SUNGAY, ADVOCATE)

AND:

¶1SARBJEET KAUR, Digitally signedtiby W/O. LATE SH. BALJINDER SINGH, NIRMALA AGED ABOUT 38 YEARS, DEVI R/O. PUNIA PATTI, CHHAJLI, Location: P.O.CHHAJLI DISTRICT SANGRUR HIGH COURT0OF PUNJAB PIN: 148030 KARNATAKA

¶2STATE OF KARNATAKA REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY, GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA, VIDHANA SOUDHA, DR.AMBEDKAR VEEDHI, BANGALORE-560001. KARNATAKA.

NC:(2026:KHC:10443-DB( WA(No.(7(of(2026( ( , ,,HC-KAR( ( (

¶3DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION KARNATAKA REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY, GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA, DR. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI, BANGALORE-560001.KARNATAKA.

¶4DEPARTMENT OF POST, REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, DAK BHAWAN, SANSAD MARG, NEW DELHI-110001.

¶5DIRECTOR GENERAL OF POSTAL SERVICES, DAK BHAWAN, SANSAD MARG, NEW DELHI-110001.

¶6CHIEF POST MASTER GENERAL, PUNJAB CIRCLE, SANDESH BHAWAN, SECTOR 17-E, CHANDIGARH-160017.

…RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. SIDDARAJU T, ADVOCATE FOR R1 SMT. NAMITHA MAHESH B G, AGA FOR R2 & R3)

THIS WRIT APPEAL IS FILED U/S 4 OF THE KARNATAKA HIGH COURT ACT PRAYING TO CALL FOR RELEVANT RECORDS AND SET ASIDE THE IMPUGNED ORDER DATED 19/11/2025 PASSED IN WP NO.24994/2025 (EDN-RES) BY THE LEARNED SINGLE JUDGE OF THIS HONBLE COURT AND DISMISS THE SAID WRIT PETITION BY ALLOWING THIS WRIT APPEAL.

THIS APPEAL, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, THIS DAY, JUDGMENT WAS DELIVERED THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE and HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA

ORAL JUDGMENT (PER: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE)

¶1The appellant [KSOU] has filed the present appeal impugning an order dated 19.11.2025 passed by the learned Single Judge in Writ petition No. 24994 of 2025 (EDN-RES), whereby the said petition is allowed.

¶2Respondent No.1 filed the said writ petition inter alia praying that directions be issued to KSOU to verify and authenticate the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (B.Sc.-IT) Degree awarded to the writ petitioner in the year 2013, pursuant to an examination held in the year 2012.

¶3Concededly, the question involved in the writ petition is covered in favour of the writ petitioner by various decisions rendered by this Court.

¶4The learned counsel for KSOU also fairly points out the Order dated 03.09.2024 in WA No.1025 of 2022 passed by the Coordinate Bench of this Court in the case of Karnataka State Open University Vs. Sri Thirumalesh C.A. and others1. The facts in the said case are materially similar to the facts obtaining in the present case. The learned Division Bench rejected the appeal preferred by KSOU against an order dated 02.08.2022 passed in WP No.2795 of 2022 (EDN-RES) whereby the KSOU was directed to issue a degree Certificate to a candidate who had successfully completed the course of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (B.Sc.-IT) Degree in the year 2012. The relevant extract of the said decision is set out below:-

¶2It is submitted by the learned counsel appearing for the appellants that the first respondent was a person who was admitted to B.Sc., Degree (Information Technology) during the year 2007 and completed the course in the year 2012 through the Mysore Computer Training Academy which is one of the Study Centres of the Appellant University. It is submitted that the learned Single Judge has held that since there was recognition for the courses conducted by the Appellant University upto the Academic year 2012-13, the first respondent was entitled to the degree certificate since

1 NC:2024:KHC:35964-DB

he had been enrolled in the year 2007 and had completed his degree in 2012. It is submitted that the cases which were referred to by the learned Single Judge, while allowing the writ petition had no application since it was in respect of non-technical degrees like M.A and B.A that the earlier judgments had been rendered and since the degree in the instant case was one of B.Sc., Degree (Information Technology). The judgments relied on would have no application to the instant case.

¶3The learned counsel for the first respondent would however, rely on judgment of the learned Single Judge of this Court in WP No. 11399/2024 rendered on 20.06.2024, where the question of grant of degree certificate of M.Sc., in Information Technology was specifically considered by this Court.

¶4After considering the contentions of the University as well as the University Grants Commission(UGC), it was held that since the Study Centre was situated within territorial jurisdiction of the University and since the degree of M.Sc., in Information Technology was not a technical degree which came within the purview of the All India Council for Technical Education(for short 'AICTE'), the grant of degree certificate cannot be denied. The said judgment is subjected to an intra-court appeal and a co-equal bench of this Court in WA No. 1116/2024 considered the issue and by judgment dated 22.08.2024, affirmed the judgment of the learned Single Judge.

¶5Having considered the contentions advanced, we notice that in the instant case also, this specific contention of the appellants before the learned Single Judge was that he had enrolled for the course in the year 2007 and had completed the course in 2012. Learned counsel appearing for the appellants does not dispute these facts. Further, we notice that though the degree is B.Sc., in Information Technology, the appellants as well as the UGC have not raised any contention that the said degree is a technical degree which is subject to the AICTE regulation.

¶5KSOU had preferred a Special Leave Petition, SLP (Civil) No.27832 of 2024, against the said order, which was dismissed by the Supreme Court on 06.12.2024. The order passed by the Supreme Court reads as under:- We have heard learned counsel for the petitioners. We do not understand as to why the petitioner has approached this court and we do not find any merit in this Special Leave Petition. Hence, The Special Leave Petition is dismissed. However, we refrain from imposing cost in the matter. Pending application(s), if any, shall stand disposed of.

¶6In view of the above, we find no grounds to interfere with the impugned judgment. The appeal is accordingly dismissed.

¶7Pending application is also disposed of.

Sd/- (VIBHU BAKHRU) CHIEF JUSTICE

Sd/- (C.M. POONACHA) JUDGE

Vmb List No.: 1 Sl No.: 7