Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Chennai: The Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered notice, returnable by a week, on a writ petition challenging an order of Periyar University, Salem, that M.Sc. (Software Engineering) was not equal to B.E. (Computer Science and Engineering).

Justice P. Jyothimani also permitted private notice.


In his petition, filed by counsel S. Vaidyanathan, petitioner M. Arun Shourie of Annanagar, Krishnagiri, submitted that he completed the five-year integrated M.Sc. (Software Engineering) from Annai Madhammal Sheela Engineering College in Namakkal district and was awarded a degree by the Faculty of Engineering and Technology of Periyar University.

Approved by AICTE
The course was approved by the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), the Tamil Nadu government and the university.

Since childhood, he had aspired to join the Army. When he applied for a technical graduate course, the Adjutant General, also cited as a respondent, rejected his application, stating “qualifying requirement not matched.”

According to the armed forces, M.Sc. (Software Engineering) was not an engineering degree and could not be equated with B.E. or B.Tech.

On his representation, the university, in letter dated October 7, said the M.Sc. course was not equal to B.E. The communication was illegal and in violation of the Constitution, he said. In response to his request, the AICTE said the five-year course did not come under its purview.

'Insensitive'
The petitioner alleged that the university was not only insensitive to the issues of students but also responsible for offering the course through engineering colleges in violation of the AICTE Act.

Since he was driven from pillar to post for the past 21 months without any proper sign of relief, he was forced to file the writ petition, the petitioner said.