No Vested Right for Foreign National Quota in Current Academic Year: Delhi HC Dismisses Appeal for Admission in Integrated Law Program

In a recent judgment, the Delhi High Court dismissed an appeal by a foreign national student seeking admission in the integrated five-year law program at the University of Delhi. The Court held that no vested right had accrued in favor of the appellant for admission under the foreign national quota for the academic year 2023-2024.

Legal Point of the Judgement: The core legal issue revolved around the claim of a foreign student to a supernumerary quota in the newly introduced integrated law programs at the University of Delhi. The appellant argued that based on the University's policy, there should have been a 10% quota for foreign nationals, which was not provided in this case.

Facts and Issues: The appellant registered for admission in 2023 but found no option for foreign nationals to apply for the new five-year integrated law programs. A writ petition was filed seeking mandamus against the University for not providing the said quota. The single judge dismissed this petition, leading to the present appeal.

Court's Assessment: The High Court carefully analyzed the submissions and the relevant documents, including the Bulletin of Information (BOI) and the Academic Council's resolutions. It was observed that while there were provisions for certain quotas, such as the 'UoD Ward Quota' and 'Orphans Quota', there was no specific quota for foreign nationals for the academic year 2023-2024. The Court noted that the BOI applicable at the time of the launch of the program did not include these programs, and thus, the appellant's reliance on these documents was misplaced.

Decision: The Court concluded that there was no provision for a foreign national quota in the integrated law programs for the academic year 2023-2024 and dismissed the appeal. It was also observed that the University had decided to introduce such a quota from the next academic year, 2024-2025. The appellant was advised that they could apply for the upcoming academic year under the foreign national quota.

Date of Decision: February 13, 2024.

Maahi Neil Jaipal vs. University of Delhi & Ors.