Justice G S Sistani issued notices also to the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) vice chancellor and to the managing director of Okhla-based Institute of Clinical Research India (ICRI) on the plea of the students.
"Issue notice to show cause to the respondents (Centre, IGNOU VC and the ICRI managing director) as to why the petition be not admitted," said the court, while slating the matter for hearing on September 7.
The petition had been filed by 18 students, who said they had got themselves enrolled in the two-year M Sc (Clinical Trial) course with ICRI after paying it Rs 1.25 lakh each in 2011.
The ICRI, which had claimed that it has a collaboration agreement with IGNOU for running the course, later refused to conduct the annual examination in June this year and put the carrier of students at risk, said the plea, filed by lawyer Rajendra Prasad.
"ICRI obtained the money from students assuring them that the degree will be provided by the IGNOU...," it said, adding that later, the institute said its collaboration with IGNOU has failed and an alternate arrangement would be worked out.
The students, in their petition, has sought a direction to IGNOU and ICRI to conduct the examination at the earliest as their educational career was at stake.
The lawyer, appearing for IGNOU, however, said "neither students have been enrolled with it nor any fee has been received by it."
