Indira Gandhi Balika Niketan P.G. College Vs Rashmi Shukla — Contempt of Court | Delhi HC (2026)

Indira Gandhi Balika Niketan P.G. College Vs Rashmi Shukla — Contempt of Court | Delhi HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Directions to the respondent to issue show cause notices within 10 days and to complete the recognition exercise for Academic Session 2026-27 well before the 31.05.2026 deadline, with a warning that failure would entail severe action under section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971; petitions disposed of in these terms.

Issue for consideration

Whether the respondent was guilty of wilful disobedience / non-compliance of the directions contained in the orders dated 24.12.2025, 09.01.2026, 12.01.2026 and 13.01.2026, in particular the failure to issue the show cause notice to the petitioners.

Court's answer

The show cause notices shall be issued latest within 10 days, and the remaining exercise for grant of recognition for Academic Session 2026-27 shall be conducted expeditiously.

Ratio / Principle

The recognition exercise shall be concluded well before the expiry of the concerned deadline for the Academic Session 2026-27, i.e., 31.05.2026.

Key takeaways

If the exercise is not concluded within the aforesaid time period, it shall be construed that the respondent is guilty of wilful disobedience of this Court's orders, entailing severe action under section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.ratio¶¶17

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Contempt petitions (CONT.CAS(C) 576, 578, 580 & 582/2026) by four teacher-education colleges alleging wilful disobedience of the Delhi High Court's writ orders (dated 24.12.2025, 09.01.2026, 12.01.2026 and 13.01.2026) which had set aside rejection of their applications for transition from the B.A. B.Ed. / B.Sc. B.Ed. Four Year Integrated Programme to the ITEP and directed issuance of a show cause notice, opportunity to respond, and a reasoned order. As the show cause notice remained unissued, Sachin Datta, J directed issuance of the show cause notices within 10 days, expedited conduct of the recognition exercise for Academic Session 2026-27, and conclusion thereof well before the 31.05.2026 deadline, failing which the respondent would be deemed guilty of wilful disobedience attracting severe action under section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. Petitions disposed of accordingly (08.04.2026).

$~116, 118 & 120, 122

IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + CONT.CAS(C) 576/2026

(116) INDIRA GANDHI BALIKA NIKETAN P.G. COLLEGE

.....Petitioner

Through: Mr. Gaurav Arora, Adv. versus RASHMI SHUKLA .....Respondent Through: + CONT.CAS(C) 578/2026 (118) RAMA KRISHNA INTEGRATED DEGREE COLLEGE

.....Petitioner

Through: Mr. Gaurav Arora, Adv. versus MS. RASHMI SHUKLA .....Respondent Through: + CONT.CAS(C) 580/2026 (120) S.S.G. PAREEK P.G. COLLEGE OF EDUCATION .....Petitioner

Through: Mr. Gaurav Arora, Adv. versus MS. RASHMI SHUKLA .....Respondent Through: + CONT.CAS(C) 582/2026 (122) R.G. TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGE .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Gaurav Arora, Adv. versus MS. RASHMI SHUKLA .....Respondent Through:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN DATTA O R D E R % 08.04.2026

The present petitions have been filed by the petitioners alleging wilful disobedience/ non-compliance of the directions contained in the orders dated 24.12.2025 in W.P.(C) 19714/2025, 09.01.2026 in W.P.(C) 302/2026,

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 15/04/2026 at 11:27:31

12.01.2026 in W.P.(C) 367/2026 and 13.01.2026 in W.P.(C) 394/2026, whereby this Court set aside the action of the respondent rejecting the application of the petitioners for transition from the B.A. B.Ed. / B.Sc. B.Ed. Four Year’s Integrated Programme to the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP). Vide the said orders, directions were also issued to the respondent to issue show cause notice to the petitioners indicating deficiencies, grant an opportunity to the petitioners to respond, and thereafter pass a reasoned order within the stipulated period of time.

The petitioners are aggrieved by the fact that, despite considerable passage of time since the passing of the impugned orders, the show cause notice has not yet been issued.

Learned counsel for the respondent does not dispute the fact that show cause notices are required to be issued and the application of the petitioners have to be decided in accordance with the directions contained in the aforesaid impugned orders.

Let the show cause notices be issued latest within a period of 10 days from today, and the remaining exercise for the purpose of grant of recognition for the Academic Session 2026-27 be conducted expeditiously. It shall be ensured that the said exercise is concluded well before the expiry of the concerned deadline for the Academic Session 2026-27 i.e., 31.05.2026.

It is made clear that in the event of exercise not being concluded within the aforesaid time period, it shall be construed that the respondent is guilty of committing wilful disobedience of the orders passed by this Court, entailing severe action under section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.

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 15/04/2026 at 11:27:31

These petitions are disposed of in the above terms.

SACHIN DATTA, J

APRIL 8, 2026/ uk

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 15/04/2026 at 11:27:31