The Kerala High Court has ruled that candidates with degrees from UGC-recognised Central Universities like IGNOU do not need an equivalency certificate to appear for the State Eligibility Test (SET). Justice D.K. Singh passed the order while hearing a petition from a Primary Teacher who had completed his Master’s in Gandhi & Peace Studies from IGNOU. Although he passed the SET, the LBS Centre, which conducts the exam, refused to give him the certificate. They were asking for an equivalency certificate from a Kerala State University. The Court said this demand was unfair and against the UGC Act. It noted that IGNOU is a Central University approved by the UGC, and its degrees are valid across India. The Court also referred to a 2018 Government Order. It clearly says no equivalency is needed for degrees from national institutions.
The judge said that the SET rules asking for such certificates go against this order and national education policies. The Court declared these rules invalid and ordered the LBS Centre to issue the SET certificate to the petitioner. This judgment supports the rights of students from national universities.
