Hyderabad, Oct 14 (Maxim News) The Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed educational institutions not to withhold students’ certificates over outstanding dues payable by the State Government.
The court clarified that colleges would remain free to pursue legal remedies to recover the pending amounts from the government.
A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Puthichira Sam Koshy and Justice Suddala Chalapathi Rao passed the direction while hearing a writ petition filed by Swamy Vivekananda Educational Trust, Saidabad, Hyderabad, Vignana Bharati Institute of Technology, Aushapur, Medchal-Malkajgiri district, and three other petitioners.
The Bench emphasised that students should not suffer because of disputes between educational institutions and government departments over unpaid dues.
Telangana High Court Leaves Recovery of Dues Open
The petition challenged proceedings dated September 18 issued by the Telangana State Human Rights Commission in HRC No. 3840 of 2026, a notice dated September 21 and the summons issued pursuant to it.
The petitioners sought to have the proceedings quashed, arguing that the Commission had acted without jurisdiction and in violation of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
They also sought a declaration that the Commission lacked jurisdiction to entertain or proceed with a complaint filed against them by the eighth respondent.
During the hearing, the Bench questioned why students should face difficulties when the government had not cleared payments due to educational institutions.
When the government’s counsel explained that the matter involved the Social Welfare Department, while counsel represented the Higher Education Department, the court stressed that students should not bear the consequences of the dispute.
The Bench observed that issuing a no-dues certificate would not mean that the government had paid the outstanding amounts. Institutions would retain the right to pursue recovery of the dues from the government.
The petitioners’ counsel requested directions for the release of consolidated marks memos, bona fide certificates and other documents required by students.
The Bench indicated that issuing the certificates should not prevent the institutions from pursuing their financial claims.
Counsel representing the institutions undertook to issue the required certificates, and the court said it would record an appropriate observation on the issue.
However, the Bench declined to make a finding at this stage on the petitioners’ argument that the Human Rights Commission lacked jurisdiction.
That question was left open for consideration.
The proceedings thus addressed the separation between students’ access to their academic documents and the institutions’ right to recover outstanding government payments. (Maxim News)
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