$~56 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + W.P.(C) 1182/2026 &CM APPL. 5769/2026 MAHARAJA AGRASAIN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Sanjay Sharawat, Sr. Adv. with Mr. Ravi Kant, Mr. Mayank Manish, Mr. Vineet Upadhyay, Mr. Ayush Aanand, Advs. versus NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR TEACHER EDUCATION AND ANR. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Anuj Kapoor, Mr. Nandeesh Nanda, Mr. Shivom Sethi, Advs. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE JASMEET SINGH O R D E R % 13.02.2026 1. This is a writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking the following prayers: “a). quashing of the Minutes of 453rd Meeting (Volume-III) held by Respondent No.2 on 11th & 12th December 2025, whereby, it has decided to withdraw recognition of the Petitioner Institution granted for running the Four Years’ B.A. B.Ed. course vide recognition order dated 23.11.2021; in an arbitrary, illegal and contemptuous manner; and b). direction to restore the recognition of the Petitioner Institution for the aforesaid Four Years’ B.A. B.Ed. course; with consequential direction to consider conversion of the said course, to Four Year 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 25/02/2026 at 15:43:00 ITEP Programme, in terms of Regulations framed therefor by the Respondent No.1; and/or…” 2. The brief facts are that National Council for Teacher Education (“NCTE”) issued public notices inviting applications for recognition of various teacher training courses. Pursuant thereof, the petitioner submittedits application to the Northern Regional Committee (“NRC”) on 30.05.2015 seeking recognition of B.A. B.Ed. 3. Pursuant thereof, the respondents’ officials initiated processing petitioner’s application and NRC issued Letter of Intent dated 17.02.2021. 4. Thereafter, NRC in its 351st Meeting held on 27.10.2021 granted recognition to petitioner institute for running 4-year integrated B.A. B.Ed course with intake of 100 seats from academic session 2022-23. 5. Thereafter, NRC in its 389th Meeting held on 27.12.2022 took up the matter pertaining to the said course of petitioner institute and initiated proceeding under Section 17 of the NCTE Act, 1993, and issued Show Cause Notice observing that “the recognition was given to these institutions due to compliance of contempt case in the Hon’ble Court”. 6. Being aggrieved by aforesaid show cause notice, the petitioner again filed W.P.(C) 894/2023 and vide order dated 24.01.2023, the Court stayed the show cause notice. 7. Subsequently, the petitioner submitted its application for transition of B.A. B.Ed. 4-year integrated course to ITEP course. 8. This Court vide order dated 29.11.2024 disposed of the W.P. (C) 894/2023. 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 25/02/2026 at 15:43:00 9. Thereafter, NRC vide order dated 17.04.2025 refused conversion of existing B.A. B.Ed. 4-year integrated course to Integrated Teacher Education Programme (“ITEP”) course. 10. Subsequently, pursuant to public notice dated 12.09.2025, the petitioners again submitted application to NCTE/NRC seeking transition of 4 year integrated B.A. B.Ed. course to ITEP course. 11. As per NRC Minutes of 453rd Meeting held on 11th– 12th December, 2025, NRC took the impugned decision of withdrawal of recognition of B.A. B.Ed. 4 year integrated course under Section 17(1) of NCTE Act, 1993. 12. Thereafter, this Court vide order dated 24.12.2025 disposed of the W.P. (C) No. 19717/2025 setting aside the refusal order dated 25.11.2025. 13. Hence, the present petition. 14. In the 389th meeting, the respondent observed “the recognition was given to these institutions due to compliance of the contempt case in the High Court.” This is the fountainhead based on which the show cause notice was issued. 15. The recognition was given due to compliance of contempt case. However, Mr. Kapoor, learned counsel for the respondents, states that the respondents have decided not to continue with this course and that is also one of the grounds to withdraw recognition. 16. Additionally, the date of grant of recognition was post the date of the decision of the respondents to scrap the B.A. B.Ed. course. 17. However, the same is disputed by Mr. Sharawat, learned senior counsel for the petitioners, who states that the course is continuing due to subsequent notifications, including notification dated 06.05.2025. 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 25/02/2026 at 15:43:00 18. It is also stated by Mr. Kapoor, learned counsel for the respondents, the petitioner had an equally efficacious remedy under Section 18 of the NCTE Act. 19. However, in similar matters, this court has granted relief to similarly situated petitioners. Hence, I am inclined to allow the petition. 20. I am of the view that the very foundational assumption of the respondents that recognition was given to the institutions due to compliance of contempt case and to subsequently withdraw the recognition to the petitioner institutes, is incorrect reasoning. 21. It is assumed that even when a contempt is pending, the respondent(s) would have given recognition after due application of mind and in accordance with applicable procedures and due compliances. It cannot be withdrawn on the ground that recognition was given because “contempt was pending”. 22. Hence, the present petition is allowed and the decision taken by NRC in its 453rd meeting held on 11th and 12th December, 2025 is hereby set aside. 23. The present petition is disposed of in aforesaid terms, along with pending applications, if any. JASMEET SINGH, J FEBRUARY 13, 2026/sp 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 25/02/2026 at 15:43:00