A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court against websites of the Department of Higher Education (DHE) of the Chandigarh Administration, serving as the official digital portals for online college admissions in Chandigarh.
The grievance raised was that the website created for students including those who were differently abled, was not adequately secured as per the guidelines issued by the Central Government.
In compliance of an order dated 01-07-2026, a status report by way of an affidavit of Director Information Technology, UT Chandigarh, was filed. It mentioned that out of 127 websites/portals/mobile applications, 94 had already been secured and that the remaining 33 were to be secured after completion of the ongoing State Data Centre upgradation, which would be completed within 5-6 months.
A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor was assured that the remaining websites would also be secured. Taking note of the respondents’ affidavit, the Court found that the authorities were aware of the concern raised in the present petition and that they were taking adequate steps to safeguard the websites. The Court also mentioned its expectation from the authorities to ensure compliance with the guidelines issued by the Central Government.
Thus, the petition was disposed of.
