Jagannath Prasad Behera Vs State of Odisha

01. 1 . The instant writ petition in the nature of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is taken out for quashing the Government Letter No.4779 dated 10^th December, 2020 issued by the Department of Skill Development & Technical Education, Government of Odisha, accepting the closure of the B.Arch. course at Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology (IGIT), Sarang, Dhenkanal.

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2. It is pleaded in the instant application that the B.Arch. course

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was initially introduced in the said IGIT, Sarang and the adequate

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amount of grant was also extended to the said institution. It is further

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alleged that the Government abruptly discontinued the architectural education, which was extended to the said institution by virtue of a welfare programme thereby depriving the many aspiring students to study and obtain the Degree/Diploma in the said field.

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3. Our attention is drawn to the copy of the letter dated 10^th December, 2020 issued by the Skill Development & Technical Education Department, Government of Odisha, wherefrom it appears that the Government did not independently took a decision to discontinue the said programme but the proposal, which was given to the Government by the said IGIT, Sarang was accepted with the specific direction that no admission of the students in the said program shall be done from the year 2020-21. More than five years have already elapsed in the meantime and the instant writ petition in the nature of PIL is filed assailing the said decision of the Government.

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4. Our attention is also drawn to the letter dated 16^th November, 2020, which contains the decision of the Board of Governors of the said institution taken in the 56^th meeting held on 30^th April, 2019, wherein a decision was taken to close the B.Arch. programme at the said institution because of the lack of adequate facilities, the faculty

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and supporting staff in the department. The tenet of the said letter issued by the institution conveys a laudable message that the Government has not taken a decision to close the said programme but accepted the proposal of the said educational institution where the lack of facilities, the faculty and the supporting staff were highlighted.

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5. The B.Arch. course is a specialized course in a specific field and requires the expert of the said subject or the field to be appointed as a faculty member. Apart from the same, it requires an infrastructure, the facility and the adequate number of supporting staff, so that the students, who opted to pursue such course, would contribute their knowledge, experience and expertize in the field in shaping the country both economically and socially.

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6. It is preposterous to suggest that the institution, which lacks adequate facilities, faculty and the supporting staff would still continue to impart education in the said specialized field and give the degree/diploma, which would in effect a mere piece of paper.

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7. We thus do not find that the reliefs claimed in the instant writ petition deserves to be allowed being conscious that the future of the students cannot be put to an uncertainty.

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8. Accordingly, the writ petition is dismissed.

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(Harish Tandon) Chief Justice

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(M.S. Raman)

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Judge

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S.K. Behera Jr. Steno

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Signature Not Verified

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Digitally Signed Signed by: SISIRA KUMAR BEHERA Designation: Junior Stenographer Reason: Authentication Location: High Court of Orissa, Cuttack Date: 11-Jul-2025 18:10:08

Jagannath Prasad Behera v. State of Odisha

Case brief

What is this about?

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Jagannath Prasad Behera v. State of Odisha

Case brief

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