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c) Experience of guiding the project work/dissertation of PG/Research students or supervising R&D projects in industry."

23. A perusal of the qualifications of Assistant Professor indicate that Post Graduate Diploma in Management equivalent by AIU/accredited by the AICTE/UGC is the essential qualification. Similarly, the qualification of Associate Professor also indicate that Post Graduate Diploma in Management declared equivalent by AIU/recognised by AICTE/UGC as the minimum qualification.

24. The above regulations are statutory in nature and the regulations having been provided, declaration of equivalence by AIU regarding Post Graduate Diploma, the declaration by AIU has become statutory  requirement.

25. From the above, it is clear that the statutory regulations framed by UGC require declaration of equivalence of Post Graduate Diploma as essential qualification for the post of Assistant Professor/Associate Professor. The above provision of the statutory regulation demolishes the argument of learned counsel for the petitioner that AIU has no authority or jurisdiction to grant equivalence of any degree or diploma.

28. Now we come to clause 3(vi) of the notification, which requires candidates in their own interest to ascertain the equivalence of their courses with Master's Degree of recognized Indian Universities from Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi.

The equivalence by AIU being a statutory requirement as per regulation 4.4.5 as quoted above, the above clause has to be read along with the said statutory requirement of equivalence by AIU. It is clear that equivalence of Post Graduate Diploma by AIU is mandatory and clause 3(vi) clearly required the candidates to ascertain their equivalence for the purpose of eligibility. The submission of learned counsel for the petitioner that the said clause is not mandatory and it is not necessary for the candidates to ascertain or  require equivalence of the degree from AIU, cannot be accepted.

34. The above correspondence between Loyola  Institute and the AIU clearly indicates that the Institute being well aware that equivalence of Post Graduate Diploma has to be obtained from AIU has been corresponding with AIU and ultimately the AIU has issued letters dated 27.11.2001 and 09.04.2010 informing equivalence of Post Graduate Diploma with MBA degree. The above clearly indicates that equivalence is sought by the Institute from where the petitioner has passed his diploma and has been granted, but as apparent from the aforesaid letter and Exhibit P12 filed by the petitioner, the recognition of equivalence of Post Graduate Diploma from Loyola Institute is only for the period from 2001 to June, 2014. The petitioner has passed his Post Graduate Diploma during the period 1996-1998, during which period neither any equivalence was granted by the AIU nor there is any material brought on record to treat it equivalent. Exhibit P8 letter, on which the petitioner's  counsel has placed much reliance, where the AICTE has informed the petitioner that the Post Graduate Diploma programme offered by the Loyola Institute is equivalent to MBA, provided the course has been approved by the AICTE during the period for which the equivalence is sought. There is no material on record to indicate that at any point of time any equivalence for the period 1996- 1998 was even sought. More so, the said letter was issued on 02.01.2008, during which period the institute was already corresponding with the AIU for seeking equivalence, which equivalence was subsequently granted also on 09.04.2010 for a period from 27th November, 2006 to 26th November, 2009 and for a further period of five years. Thus, the letter dated 02.01.2008 cannot be read as a letter granting any equivalence to the diploma course of the petitioner by AICTE during the period when he passed the Post Graduate Diploma.