The Supreme Court undoes a 2% quota of DAE holders fixed for admission in BSc Engineering programs and allowed the DAE degree holders to take admission in the engineering programs on open merit basis. A three-judge bench of the apex court, led by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, declared that the decision of the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) to fix a 2% quota for the DAE holders in admission to the BSc Engineering program is beyond its powers. “The best way forward is to allow admissions to BSc Engineering on open merit and through open competition amongst the FSc and DAE holders,” said the judgment.
“Such a level-playing field encourages competition and allows the best of the best amongst the FSc and DAE to be admitted to the BSc Engineering Program,” added the judgment. Before this, the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has fixed only 2% quotas for the DAE degree holders to get admission in BSc engineering programs. This limited the number of opportunities for DAE diploma holders for higher education.
The PEC, in its 15th governing body meeting on March 25, 2015, reserved 2% seats in the BSc (Engineering) program for the DAE holders. FSc students are allowed to seek admission in BSc engineering programs on open merit. Hence, practically, 98% of the BSc engineering graduates are those having FSc qualification while only 2 percent of the total engineering graduate are those having DAE qualification.
“The counsel for the respondent also failed to justify why DAE should not be considered at par with the FSc students on open merit when both of them are eligible for admission under the Regulations,” the judgment reads.
“Other than the fact that the PEC or the Governing Body has no such power to impose such a condition, it is also ex-facie discriminatory against the DAE holders, especially when they are considered eligible for the BSc (Engineering) Programme along with the FSc degree holders,” the order said.
