Kerala High Court: IGNOU Degree Valid for SET, No Need for Extra Certificate

The Kerala High Court has held that a master’s degree from IGNOU, a UGC-recognised central university, is valid for the State Eligibility Test (SET) and does not require an additional equivalency certificate. 

The case involved S. Harisankar, whose SET certificate was withheld due to a lack of a state equivalency certificate despite passing the exam in July 2021.

The Court held that insisting on such certificates “would be the end of the education system” and struck down Clauses 2.2 & 5.6(a) of the SET prospectus as ultra vires. 

The LBS Centre for Science and Technology was directed to issue the SET certificate immediately. (Harisankar S. v. State of Kerala & Ors.)