In Brief
Vinit Garg and others sought recognition of their B.Tech. degrees awarded by Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (TIET), Patiala through open and distance learning. The Court held that institutions offering degree courses in distance learning mode must obtain prior approval from relevant regulators—the UGC for non-technical courses and AICTE for technical courses. TIET lacked AICTE approval for its technical distance education programme and was therefore incompetent to award such degrees. The Court dismissed the petition, establishing that regulatory compliance is mandatory regardless of an institution's general powers.
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