Contempt of Court: Panjab University Must Release Documents to Students within 15 Days

• Panjab University Officials face Contempt of Court.

• The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a directive mandating that all involved Punjab colleges and Panjab University release all documents to which students are entitled, including mark sheets, degrees, and character certificates, within fifteen days of receiving its order.

• Failure by these colleges or Panjab University to comply with this directive will be considered contempt of Court, and additional actions may be taken against the respective colleges or Panjab University Officers who violate this order.

Chandigarh, India, January 18, 2025 — The High Court of Punjab and Haryana, located in Chandigarh, issued a ruling on January 9, 2025, in which it disposed of twelve writ petitions through a consolidated order. The Court decided that all petitions presented a common legal issue under similar factual circumstances.

The petitioners have asserted that the colleges they attended retain their original documents, including mark sheets, degrees, character certificates, and other essential paperwork. The colleges contend that this action is attributable to the non-receipt of fees that the state must reimburse for the courses completed by the petitioning students. Most of these institutions are government colleges in Punjab and are affiliated with Panjab University in Chandigarh.

• The petitioners, who are students, contend that neither the College nor Panjab University possesses the authority to retain documents. They assert that the College’s concerns regarding fee recovery should be addressed to the appropriate governing body, either the State of Punjab or the Union of India.

Legal counsel representing the students asserted that the judgment rendered by the Coordinate Bench of this Court in the case of Meena Kumari vs. the State of Punjab and others decided in 2023 establishes a precedent for the relief sought by the current petitioners. In that case, the High Court mandated that both the State and Panjab University release the original documents belonging to the students, acknowledging the completion of their academic programs at their respective institutions, without imposing any fee payment requirement on the students.

Students in Punjab who have participated in the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme face significant challenges due to the respective educational institutions retaining their original documents and testimonials. These documents are essential for students to advance their higher education or fulfill other academic and administrative requirements.

• Moreover, as the affiliating institution, Panjab University has refrained from issuing these documents, citing the non-payment of fees required from the students or the relevant institutions.

In its ruling on the Meena Kumari case, a Coordinate Bench of the High Court issued a directive to institutions and Panjab University prohibiting the retention of student documents. This mandate is designed to mitigate the hardships faced by underprivileged students who have not fulfilled their financial obligations to these institutions or Panjab University. It aims to ensure that such students are not obstructed from pursuing their further studies or any other endeavors that necessitate access to these crucial documents.

On January 9, 2025, the High Court ruled that the retention of documents belonging to students from reserved categories by institutions, including Panjab University, is inconsistent with the legal principles established in the Meena Kumari case. The Court remarked that both Panjab University and its affiliated colleges have not succeeded in demonstrating that, following the directives provided by the Coordinate Bench in the Meena Kumari case, they possess the authority to withhold any student’s documents on the grounds of outstanding tuition or examination fee payments.

• Considering the abovementioned factors, the High Court has issued a directive to the respondent institutions and Panjab University. The Court has stipulated that these educational institutions must provide all documents to which students are entitled, including but not limited to mark sheets, degrees, character certificates, and any other pertinent documentation regarding the duration of the courses completed by the students. This document release must occur within 15 days of receipt of this order.

• Should the institutions or Panjab University default on this obligation, such an occurrence will constitute contempt of Court. Furthermore, failure to comply may result in additional legal actions against the respondent institutions or Panjab University officers who do not fulfill this directive.

Source: Punjab and Haryana High Court.