Aishe Ghosh and Ors. v. Jawaharlal Nehru University

Delhi HC16 Mar 2026W.P.(C)/869/2020

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

JNU hostel manual amendment; IHA decision 28.10.2019; Executive Council 283rd meeting 13.11.2019 (Items 6.25, 6.26, 6.27, Annexure 9); High Level Committee circulars 24.11.2019 and 25.11.2019; hostel fee increase; Article 226 writ petition; locus standi of former students' union office bearers; petition not a PIL; infructuous petition; interim orders vacated; no fines on students; Delhi High Court; Jasmeet Singh; W.P.(C) 869/2020.

What did the court decide?

No substantive relief to the petitioners; petition disposed of as infructuous and all interim orders vacated; respondent University expected not to impose any fine on any student. ¶¶31

Aishe Ghosh and Ors. Vs Jawaharlal Nehru University — Writ and Judicial Review | Delhi HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

No substantive relief to the petitioners; petition disposed of as infructuous and all interim orders vacated; respondent University expected not to impose any fine on any student.

¶¶31

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioners, who were office bearers of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union when the petition was filed but are no longer studying at the University, have the locus to maintain the writ petition. +2 more

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Court's answer

At the time of filing, the petitioners, being office bearers of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union, were studying in the University and concerned with its affairs; with passage of time they have moved on in their careers and lives and, as per the best of knowledge and belief of counsel for the respondent University, are no longer studying in the University and hence have no locus to maintain the petition.

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Ratio / Principle

The petition is not in the nature of a Public Interest Litigation.

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Key takeaways

For the said reasons, the petition has become infructuous and, prima facie for this reason, nobody appeared on behalf of the petitioners.ratio¶¶28
Any other students affected by the decisions are entitled to avail legal remedies in accordance with law.obiter¶¶29
It is expected that the respondent University shall not impose any fine on any of the students.ratio

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Delhi High Court (Jasmeet Singh, J.) disposed of a writ petition (Art. 226) filed by office bearers of the JNU Students Union challenging the IHA Decision dated 28.10.2019 amending the hostel manuals (including increase in hostel fee), the minutes of the 283rd Executive Council meeting dated 13.11.2019 ratifying it, and the High Level Committee amendment of 24.11.2019. Held: with passage of time the petitioners have moved on and are no longer studying at the University, and hence have no locus to maintain the petition; the petition is not in the nature of a Public Interest Litigation and has become infructuous. The petition was disposed of and all interim orders vacated. Other affected students may avail legal remedies in accordance with law, and the respondent University is expected not to impose any fine on any student.

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$~23

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

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- W.P.(C) 869/2020 & CM APPL. 2737/2020

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AISHE GHOSH AND ORS. .....Petitioner

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Through: None

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versus

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JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY .....Respondent Through: Mr. Bhagwan Sawrup Shukla, CGSC with Mr. Mukesh Kumar Pandey, Mr. Praveen Gupta, Advs. for UOI

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CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE JASMEET SINGH

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O R D E R 16.03.2026

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This is a writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking the following reliefs:

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“a. Issue a writ of certiorari or any other writ, order or direction quashing the Minutes of the Inter-Hall Administration Committee meeting dated 28.10.2019 of the Jawaharlal Nehru University approving amendments to Hostel Manual; b. Issue a writ of certiorari or any other writ, order or direction quashing the Item Nos. 6.25, 6.26, 6.27 and Annexure 9 of Minutes of the 283^rd Meeting of the Executive Council dated 13.11.2019 of the Jawaharlal Nehru University;

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This is a digitally signed order.

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The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 24/03/2026 at 13:36:45

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c. Issue a writ of certiorari or any other writ, order or direction quashing circular dated 24.11.2019 constituting the High Level Committee and quash the Circular dated 25.11.2019 passing recommendations of the High Level Committee;

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d. Issue a writ of mandamus or any other writ, order or direction directing the Jawaharlal Nehru University to refund the excess fees collected from the students as per the Draft Hostel Manual or in the alternative for the fee to be adjusted as per the unamended Hostel Manual in the upcoming Monsoon Semester, i.e., July 2020;

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e. Issue a writ, order or direction to reconvene a fresh IHA meeting as per law to reconsider the issues illegally passed in the IHA minutes dated 28.10.2019;

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f. Issue a writ, order or direction allowing the students of JNU to register for the Winter Session-January 2020 as per the old fee structure as existing prior to the impugned IHA minutes issued on 28.10.2019;

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g. Issue a writ of certiorari or any other writ, order or direction to set aside late fines as issued in Circular dated 15.01.2020 for registration in Winter Semester- 2020;…”

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The petitioners being the office bearers of ‘Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union’ had challenged the Inter-hall Hostel Administrative (“IHA”) Decision dated 28.10.2019 amending the hostel manuals, the minutes of 283^rd Meeting of Executive Council, ratifying the IHA decision and the Higher Level Committee dated

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This is a digitally signed order.

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The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 24/03/2026 at 13:36:45

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24.11.2019 making further amendment to the hostel manual.

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It is the case of the petitioners that the same have malafidely, arbitrarily and illegally affected the student community of the respondent university, bringing far reaching changes to the hostel manual, such as increase in hostel fee. It is further stated that the impugned decision is contrary to the hostel manual and has been passed without considering the representations.

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In my view, at the time of filing the petition, the petitioners being the office bearers of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union, were studying in the University and were concerned with the affairs of the University as well as the hostel.

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With passage of time, the petitioners have moved on in their careers and in their lives and as per the best of knowledge and belief of the counsel for the respondent University, are no longer studying in the University and hence, have no locus to maintain the petition.

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The petition additionally, is not in the nature of a Public Interest Litigation.

¶28

For the said reasons, the petition has become infructuous and primafacie, for this reason, there is nobody appearing on behalf of the petitioners today.

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In case any other students are affected by the decisions, they are entitled to avail legal remedies in accordance with law.

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It is expected that the respondent University shall not impose any fine on any of the students.

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The petition is disposed of and all interim orders are vacated.

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This is a digitally signed order.

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The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 24/03/2026 at 13:36:45

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At 3:00 p.m.

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Mr. Chimni, learned counsel for the petitioner, has appeared and has been apprised of the Order passed.

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JASMEET SINGH, J

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MARCH 16, 2026/sp

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This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 24/03/2026 at 13:36:45

Aishe Ghosh and Ors. v. Jawaharlal Nehru University

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Aishe Ghosh and Ors. v. Jawaharlal Nehru University

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Why is it important?

What the court decided

Issues for consideration

Statutes considered

Procedural history

Parties & counsel

Coram

Case details

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