Civil Writ Petition No.19346 of 2001 1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Civil Writ Petition No.19346 of 2001 Date of Decision: 11.8.2011 Dr. Pardeep Singh and others ..Petitioners Versus State of Punjab and others ..Respondents. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJIVE BHALLA Present: Mr. Deepak Sibal, Advocate for the petitioners. Mr. Puneet Gupta, Addl.Advocte General, Punjab Mr. I.P.S Doabia, Advocate for MCI. RAJIVE BHALLA, J. (ORAL) The writ petition survives with respect to petitioners no. 1, 3 and 4 as petitioner no.2 has passed away. The petitioners pray for issuance of a writ in the nature of mandamus directing the respondents to re-admit them to their respective post graduate MD/MS Courses, for which they were selected and admitted for the sessions 2001-04. The dispute, in essence, is whether the petitioners were eligible for selection to these courses, as they did not obtain 50% marks in the entrance examination. However, pursuant to an interim order dated 1.5.2002, passed by a Division Bench, the petitioners were allowed to join the post graduate course. The petitioners have completed their respective courses in 2003-04, mark sheets have been issued, but degrees have not been conferred. I have heard counsel for the parties and perused the paper-book. The petitioners are Scheduled Caste candidates. The petitioners' initial admission, may not have been entirely legal, but as the petitioners have completed their respective courses and by a subsequent amendment, the Civil Writ Petition No.19346 of 2001 2 eligibility condition was reduced to 40% in cases of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, it would be inequitable to dismiss the petitions, seven years after the petitioners have completed their respective courses. It is true that merit must be given precedence, but in view of the peculiar facts and circumstances of the present case and as the petitioners have completed their respective courses, nothing survives for adjudication. The writ petition is disposed of with the direction to Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, through its Registrar, Faridkot to confer degrees of their respective post graduate courses. No order as to costs. 11.8.2011 ( RAJIVE BHALLA ) VK JUDGE