JUDGMENT (Prayer in W.P.No. 4582 of 2018: Writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to issue a writ of certiorarified mandamus to call for the records of 11 Nos of separate notices of 5th respondent dated 13.10.2017 demanding payment of Annual fees for the academic year 2018-19 from the petitioners 1 to 11 and to quash the same and consequently forbearing the respondent college from demanding and coercing the petitioners to pay further amounts towards annual fees for the academic year 2018-19 onwards and further directions by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in SLP(C) No. 19315 of 017. Prayer in W.P.No. 14232 of 2017: Writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to declare that the fees payable for admission into Post Graduate Medical/Dental Courses in Self-Financing and Deemed Universities in Puducherry shall be as fixed to be fixed by the Puducherry Fee Committee, as the case may be, and consequently direct the respondents to finally fix the fees for the above admissions. Prayer in W.P.No. 11701 of 2018: Writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to issue a writ of certiorarified mandamus to call for the records of Notices in Ref. No. MGMCRI/ Tuition Fee/ 2018-19/ 17010610022018001 MGMCRI/ Tuition – Fee/2018-19/ 17011010092018001 MGMCRI/ Tuition-Fee/ 2018-19/ 170111510012018001 MGMCRI/ Tuition-Fee/ 2018-19/ 17011010062018001 MGMCRI/ Tuition-Fee/ 2018-19/ 17010610012018001 MGMCRI/ Tuition-Fee/ 2018-19/ 17012010032018001 MGMCRI/ Tuition-Fee/ 2018-19/ 17012010012018001 MGMCRI/ Tuition-Fee/ 2018-19/ 7010910072018001 dated 24.03.2018 demanding payment of Annual fees for the Academic year 2018-19 from the petitioners 1 to 8 and to quash the same and consequently to restrain the 5th respondent college from demanding and coercing the petitioners to pay further amount towards Annual Fees for the Academic Years 2018-19 and 2019-20 until the Hon'ble First Bench of this Court in W.P.14232 of 2017 finally determines the Annual Fee amounts for P.G.Medical Courses to the 5th respondent college. Prayer in Cont P.No. 1266 of 2019: Petition filed under Section 11 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 to punish the Respondents for their willful and deliberate disobedience of the Interim Order passed by this Honourable Court on 26.04.2018 in W.P.No.14232 of 2017. Prayer in Cont P.No. 1266 of 2019: Petition filed under Section 11 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 to punish the Respondents for their willful and deliberate disobedience of the Interim Order passed by this Honourable Court on 26.04.2018 in W.P.No.14232 of 2017. Prayer in Cont P No. 1487 of 2019: Petition filed under Section 11 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 to punish the respondent for the willful and deliberate disobedience of the Interim Order passed by this Court on 22.04.2019 in WP.No.4582 of 2018.) Common Order M.M. Sundresh, J. 1. These three writ petitions and the contempt petitions are posted before us pursuant to the order passed by The Hon'ble Chief Justice on the administrative side. To be noted, W.P.No. 14237 of 2017 has been posted before us as the Bench hearing the matter declined to hear the same. Since the other two writ petitions were posted before the learned Single Judge, in view of the commonality of the issue involved, they are accordingly posted before us after getting appropriate orders from the Hon'ble Chief Justice. 2. W.P.No.14232 of 2017 is a public interest litigation filed by the petitioner, who is a practising advocate. Incidentally, he as counsel filed other two writ petitions, namely, W.P.No. 4582 of 2018 and W.P.No.11701 of 2018 on behalf of the writ petitioners. 3. The issue involved pertains to the fixation of fee by the private respondents, namely, the deemed Universities. In W.P.No.14232 of 2017, the Honb'le First Bench was pleased to pass the following order:- “21.The admission of students in medical institutions as also fee charged by such medical institutions are ex-facie the matters of immense public importance. This Court cannot shut its eyes to impediments in the way of individual litigation by young students. This Court can take note of the facts pleaded by a public spirited citizen in a public interest litigation and suo motu pass orders to redress the grievances of the student community. Moreover, we are informed that separate writ petitions have also been filed by and/or on behalf of affected candidates. 22. This Court can take note of the facts pleaded by a public spirited citizen in a public interest litigation and suo motu pass orders to redress the grievances of the student community. Moreover, we are informed that separate writ petitions have also been filed by and/or on behalf of affected candidates. 22. We, therefore, deem it appropriate to pass an interim order directing the deemed Universities to admit the students provisionally selected and successful in the admission tests/counselling to the vacant seats in order of their merit, subject to the condition that the students shall each deposit Rs.10.00 lakhs at the time of admission towards the annual fee for the first year with CENTAC (third respondent) and subject to the further condition that in the event the fees determined by the Fee Committee that may be constituted by the University Grants Commission (seventh respondent) and Ministry of Human Resource Development (sixth respondent) to study the fee structure of the deemed Universities is higher, they shall pay the differential amount. Needless to mention that those students who have already taken admission by depositing the full fees will, if necessary, be entitled to refund/adjustment of the difference between the fees that might be determined by the Committee and the amount paid by them. Such admission shall be effected within 5 P.M. on 19th June 2017 and the students will be allowed to provisionally attend their classes from 20th June 2017. Needless to mention that the admission of students pursuant to this interim order shall abide by the result of the writ petition. 23. We are informed that there are some nonclinical courses in the deemed universities for which the fees varies between Rs.3 to 4 Lakhs. In such case, the students will be required to pay the amount of fees charged and not Rs.10 Lakhs. 24. Considering that the future of the students who are admitted pursuant to this interim order remains uncertain, there is an immense urgency and we expect that the University Grants Commission (seventh respondent) and Ministry of Human Resource Development (sixth respondent) shall forthwith constitute a Committee to regulate the fees chargeable by the self-financed deemed Universities, after giving all stakeholders including the Universities adequate opportunity of representation. The decision of the Fee Committee shall abide by the result of the writ petition.” 4. This order was put to challenge by the Deemed Universities before the Apex Court. The decision of the Fee Committee shall abide by the result of the writ petition.” 4. This order was put to challenge by the Deemed Universities before the Apex Court. The Apex Court confirmed the order of the Division Bench referred supra. Thereafter, a further order was passed on 26.04.2018 by the Division Bench which is extracted hereunder:- “3. The deemed universities filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court against the order of this Court dated 16.06.2017. There appears to have been some mis-statement at the time of hearing to the effect that the judgment and order dated 16.06.2017 was a final judgment and order, as would be evident from the cause title of the order of the Supreme Court dated 16.04.2018, dismissing the Special Leave Petition and requesting the High court to decide the matter within a period of six months. The Supreme Court also gave liberty to the Committee to submit its report to this Court in accordance with law. 4. No Committee has yet been constituted, in view of the Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court. We direct the University Grants Commission and the Ministry of Human Resources Development to forthwith constitute a Committee, to regulate the fees chargeable by self-financed deemed Universities, as directed by the order of this Court dated 16.06.2017, after giving all stakeholders including the deemed universities adequate opportunity of representation. The Fee Committee should be constituted within three (3) weeks from date and the Fee Committee shall take a decision within four (4) months from the date of its constitution, which will abide by the result of the writ petition.” 5. In W.P.Nos.4582 and 11701 of 2018, an interim order was passed by the learned Single Judge on 22.04.2019. The payment, as directed, was by way of consent restricted to the petitioners alone. Incidentally, the learned Single Judge has observed that the further payment would be made depending upon the decision of the Fee Committee, as directed to be constituted by the order of the Division Bench referred supra. 6. The petitioners in W.P.Nos. 4582 and 11701 of 2018 got their admissions for the PG Courses from the private respondents/Deemed Universities. They have, accordingly, paid the fees as demanded by them. It is this fixation which was questioned by the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner in W.P.No.14232 of 2017. 6. The petitioners in W.P.Nos. 4582 and 11701 of 2018 got their admissions for the PG Courses from the private respondents/Deemed Universities. They have, accordingly, paid the fees as demanded by them. It is this fixation which was questioned by the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner in W.P.No.14232 of 2017. The constitution of the Fee Committee has been challenged by the private Universities before the Hon'ble Apex Court. The earlier interim order granted was modified permitting the Fee Committee to proceed further while not publishing the final decision awaiting further orders. 7. In pursuance of the orders passed by the learned Single Judge, dated 22.04.2019, the petitioners in W.P.Nos. 4582 and 11701 of 2018 duly paid the agreed amount as fees for the II year. However, for the III year, no fee has been paid as the Fee Committee could not decide the issue in view of the challenge made by the Deemed Universities before the Apex Court. 8. Though various contentions have been raised by the learned counsel appearing for the parties, we are not inclined to go into the merits of the case. Insofar as W.P.No.14232 of 2017 is concerned, appropriate orders can only be passed awaiting orders from the Hon'ble Apex Court and based upon the same, the decision of the Fee Committee. Therefore, we are inclined to adjourn the said case awaiting orders from the Hon'ble Apex Court. 9. Insofar as W.P.Nos. 4582 and 11701 of 2018 are concerned, the petitioners will have to write the examinations. Pursuant to the interim order granted, they are allowed to continue. Even here, the question of appropriate fees would depend upon the final decision of the Fee Committee. Therefore, we made a suggestion to the learned counsel appearing for the petitioners and the Deemed Universities to arrive at an agreed amount in this regard. 10. Ultimately, it has been decided that the petitioners can pay a sum of Rs.13.00 lakhs without prejudice to the contentions of both sides on or before 30 June 2020. On such payment, the petitioners will be permitted to write the examinations. The question of excess payment to be returned by the Universities or payment of further fees by the petitioners would obviously depend upon the decision of the Apex Court followed by that of the Fee Committee. On such payment, the petitioners will be permitted to write the examinations. The question of excess payment to be returned by the Universities or payment of further fees by the petitioners would obviously depend upon the decision of the Apex Court followed by that of the Fee Committee. Therefore, consciously, we leave all the issues open to be decided at the appropriate stage by the appropriate forum. However, we make it clear that the question of payment of stipend will have to be decided in the pending writ petitions. 11. We may note, even before the learned Single Judge, in the order dated 22.04.2019, there was a consent with respect to the payment of fees by way of an interim arrangement and the order of the Division Bench as confirmed by the Apex Court at least with respect to the constitution of the Fee Committee has become final. Even there, the Division Bench has passed an interim order keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders. 12. In such view of the matter, we are inclined to dispose of the writ petitions, namely, W.P.No. 4582 and 2018 and W.P.No. 11707 of 2018 by directing each of the petitioner, as agreed upon by them through their respective counsel before us, to pay a sum of Rs.13.00 lakhs to the private respondents, namely, the deemed Universities on or before 30 June 2020. On such payment, the private respondents/deemed Universities will have to permit the petitioners to write the examinations. All the contentions on merits, are left open. The parties are at liberty to come for any other relief by way of a separate litigation, if they choose to do so. 13. W.P.No. 4582 of 2018 and W.P. No. 11707 of 2018 are disposed of accordingly. No costs. Consequently, connected W.M.P.Nos. 5633 of 2018, 9309 of 2020, 39308 of 2018,13672 to 13674 of 2018 are closed. 14. W.P.No. 14232 of 2017 will be taken up awaiting orders from the Apex Court since in the pending matters, challenge has been made to the constitution of the Fee Committee. The other writ petition than those dealt with including the contempt petitions (Cont P.Nos. 1266 of 2019 and 1487 of 2019) are adjourned to be taken up along with W.P.No.14232 of 2017.