Court Upholds U.P. Intermediate Education Act, 1921; No Provision for Reevaluation Found
In a recent judgment, the Allahabad High Court dismissed a writ petition filed by Faaiz Qamar against the State of Uttar Pradesh, seeking reevaluation of answer sheets for the Intermediate Examination. The court, presided over by Justice Vivek Saran, ruled that the governing statute, the U.P. Intermediate Education Act, 1921, does not provide for the reevaluation of answer sheets, thereby upholding the decision of the Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad, Meerut.
The petitioner, dissatisfied with the marks received in Hindi and Biology, argued that the procedure followed by the authorities was arbitrary and sought reevaluation of specific questions. However, the court noted that Chapter 12 Rule 21 of the Act does not permit reevaluation, and the petitioner's dissatisfaction based on self-assessment could not justify reevaluation.
The court also referenced the Supreme Court's guidelines from the Ran Vijay Singh case, emphasizing that courts should not engage in reevaluating or scrutinizing academic answer sheets unless there is a clear demonstration of a material error in rare or exceptional cases. The court acknowledged a totalling error in the Biology paper, which was rectified, but found no grounds for reevaluation.
The judgment reinforces the principle that academic matters are best left to educational authorities unless statutory provisions explicitly provide otherwise. As a result, the writ petition was dismissed, affirming the examination authority's decision.
Bottom Line:
Reevaluation of answer sheets in Intermediate Examination cannot be granted if the governing statute, the U.P. Intermediate Education Act, 1921, does not provide for it.
Statutory provision(s): U.P. Intermediate Education Act, 1921, Chapter 12 Rule 21
Faaiz Qamar v. State of U.P., (Allahabad) : Law Finder Doc Id # 2823934
