- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:1932-DB WA No. 515 of 2024 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 13TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2026 PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE AND THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA WRIT APPEAL NO. 515 OF 2024 (EDN-RES) BETWEEN: KARNATAKA STATE OPEN UNIVERSITY MUKTHAGANGOTRI MYSORE - 570 006 REP. BY ITS REGISTRAR. …APPELLANT (BY SRI. RAJENDRA KUMAR SUNGAY T P., ADVOCATE) AND: 1. SRI RAKESH RANJAN SINHA S/O RAMESHWAR PRASAD SINGH AGED ABOUT 50 YEARS R/AT SHIV COLONY, CHHATA M-ATHURA UTTAR PRADESH - 281 401. 2. UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY O/O. BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR MARG NEW DELHI - 110 002 O/O SOUTH WESTERN REGIONAL OFFICE (BANGALORE) P.K.BLOCK PALACE ROAD, GANDHI NAGAR BANGALORE - 560 009. …RESPONDENTS THIS WRIT APPEAL IS FILED UNDER SECTION 4 OF THE KARNATAKA HIGH COURT ACT, 1961 PRAYING TO CALL FOR Digitally signed by NIRMALA DEVI Location: High Court of Karnataka - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:1932-DB WA No. 515 of 2024 RELEVANT RECORDS AND SET ASIDE THE IMPUGNED ORDER DATED 20/02/2024 PASSED IN WP NO.23197/2023(EDN-RES) BY THE LEARNED SINGLE JUDGE OF THIS HON'BLE 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) 1. The appellant has filed the present appeal impugning an order dated 20.02.2024 passed by the learned Single Judge in W.P.No.23197/2023 (EDN-RES). 2. The writ petitioner had filed the said writ petition praying that the appellant be directed to consider his case for issuance of a Convocation certificate based on the earlier judgment passed by this Court in WP No.8638/2016 and WP No.25361/2017. - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:1932-DB WA No. 515 of 2024 3. The writ petitioner, who was admitted by the appellant University to N.E.T. academy for pursuing Master of Arts in Geography for the academic year 2011-2013, had completed the course in the year 2014. On 16.06.2015, the University Grants Commission [UGCA] had issued a notification derecognizing the appellant. Consequently, the degrees issued by the appellant were also derecognized and students who had completed the courses were not being considered as having qualified the said course. This Court had in the earlier writ petitions passed orders directing that those candidates who had taken admission upto and including the academic year 2012-13 would be entitled to a degree regardless of the year of passing the final examination. The learned Single Judge following the earlier decisions allowed the writ petition in terms of the impugned order. 4. Concededly the issue is covered by the earlier decision of this Court including the order dated 17.08.2022 passed by the learned Single Judge in W.P.No.24293/2021, which is referred to in the impugned order. - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:1932-DB WA No. 515 of 2024 5. The appellant had filed an appeal against the said decision [Order dated 17.08.2022 in W.P.No.24293/2021] being Writ Appeal No.1257/2022 (ED-RES) which was dismissed by an order dated 12.12.2024 [NC:2024:KHC:51214-DB]. The special leave petition preferred by the appellant against the said decision [SLP(Civil) Diary No(s).21427/2025] was also dismissed by the Supreme Court by an order dated 14.10.2025. 6. In view of the above, we find no grounds to interfere with the impugned order. The appeal is accordingly dismissed. 7. Pending applications, if any, stand disposed of. Sd/- (VIBHU BAKHRU) CHIEF JUSTICE Sd/- (C.M. POONACHA) JUDGE VMB List No.: 2 Sl No.: 22