Dear friends, As all of us know some private technical institutions filed suit in various parts of the country. Yesterday Delhi High Court has granted interim order relief to Education Promotion Society of India (EPSI) members regarding mandatory subscription of online journals. Report is as follows. Online Journal Controversy: Delhi High Court grants interim relief to EPSI members against AICTE MBAUniverse.com News Bureau | 06 Jan, 2012 0542 hrs IST Education Promotion Society of India (EPSI) has got interim relief from the Honourable Delhi High Court on the matter related to 'Mandatory Subscription of Online journals', prescribed by the AICTE for all Technical Institutions. This is a big relief by the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi. This arbitrary decision of the AICTE would have created extraordinary financial burden on technical institutions: Dr. H Chaturvedi, Director, BIMTECH & alternate President, EPSI Education Promotion Society of India (EPSI) has got interim relief from the Honourable Delhi High Court on the matter related to 'Mandatory Subscription of Online journals', prescribed by the AICTE for all Technical Institutions viz. Engineering Colleges, Management Institutes, Architect Institutes, Pharmacy, MCA institutions etc. MBAUniverse.com has learnt that the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi has on January 6, 2012 stayed the AICTE’s notification to compulsorily subscribe to some mandatory online journals. The Hon’ble High Court of Delhi has issued an Interim Order stating that the AICTE Order under Approval Handbook for 2012-13 will remain stayed till January 31, 2012, when court will hear this matter again. Speaking to MBAUniverse.com, Dr H Chaturvedi, Alternate President, EPSI, and Director, BIMTECH said, "This is a big relief by the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi. This arbitrary decision of the AICTE would have created extraordinary financial burden on technical institutions and also lead to siphoning of Rs.1600 crores to US and UK based multinational publishing companies." EPSI says that now all technical institutions are not under any compulsion for buying online journals for extension of approval, or to increase in intake. EPSI has being fighting for this issue since November 18, 2011, when a letter was sent to Shri Kapil Sibal, Hon’ble Minister of HRD. With no relief coming from the ministry, EPSI moved Delhi High Court on the matter. The main plea by EPSI was that all AICTE approved institutions have a fundamental right to administer their respective institutions and buy books, journals, softwares, machines and equipments as per their requirements and choice. In this case, AICTE not only imposed the list of journals from foreign companies publishing those journals, but also prescribed subscription rates in US dollars. Further, on December 20, 2011, AICTE has notified on its website that institutions subscribing DELNET/INDEST may not be required to subscribe an online journal. The final hearing on this matter will now be held on January 31, 2012. Same can be available from this link http://www.mbauniverse.com/article/id/5379/Interim-relief-to-EPSI-against-AI... Gangadhar K.C. Senior Librarian Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology P.B.No.6429, Yelahanka, Bangalore-560 064. Ph:080-22167882, Cell:93798 35009 -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.