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Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has clarified that admissions to Muffakham Jah College of Engineering and Technology (MJCET) for the 2026-27 academic year through the state’s engineering counselling process will be subject to the final outcome of a pending case before the court concerning the institution’s compliance with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) norms.

A division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin directed the single judge hearing the main case to conclude the matter as quickly as possible, noting that the ongoing counselling process is scheduled to end by August 14.

Why the case was filed

The row began after the college’s application for an Extension of Approval (EOA), the annual clearance that engineering institutions must obtain from AICTE to continue admissions, showed up on the AICTE portal with the status “EOA issued,” but the college was allegedly prevented from downloading the approval certificate. 

When a representation to the authorities went unanswered, a single judge on June 18 permitted the college to download the EOA and directed that it be included in the counselling process, while making clear this was subject to the outcome of the pending petition.

The order was passed on the eve of counselling, which was set to begin on June 19.

AICTE challenges interim order

AICTE challenged this interim relief before the division bench, alleging that the institution had concealed material facts, including that its EOA application had been rejected on an earlier occasion, and had failed to submit mandatory documents such as occupancy certificates and title deeds for the college’s premises.

The college, run by the Sultan Ul Uloom Educational Society, countered that admissions had already commenced under the interim order and argued that AICTE had neither set aside the interim order nor filed its written reply to the petition at the time.

Without going into the merits of the dispute, the division bench disposed of AICTE’s appeal, leaving it free to file its written reply and a formal application seeking to set aside the interim order before the single judge. 

Admissions, meanwhile, will proceed under a cloud, with the court making clear that whatever seats are filled through the ongoing counselling round will stand or fall depending on how the single judge ultimately decides the case.