The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed a judge’s order that limited the number of MPhil and PhD research scholars under a University Grants Commission recommendation to the Jawaharlal Nehru University’s admission policy, IANS reported. The court ordered a stay until April 28 based on a petition filed by the varsity’s students.

“The impugned (single judge) order has given findings and made absolute propositions of law which would have wide ramifications. It is directed that till the next date of hearing, there shall be stay of the effect and operation of the findings on law of the single judge,” a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra said.

While clarifying that they were not objecting to the UGC’s May 5, 2016, notification, students said they had problems with the varsity’s “procedural lapses” in implementing the notification. The students said the new rule “threatens to put our future in jeopardy”. The university had not involved their representative while discussing the notification, which was adopted on December 26 last year, the students alleged.

The university’s representative told the court that it was compelled to follow the “binding notification”, as failure to do so could lead to suspension of grants or degrees awarded.