Attendance shortage cannot be relexed on medical grounds - Attendance Requirement for Student
Patna High Court Upholds Mandatory Attendance Requirement for Engineering Students. Appeals for Relaxation on Medical Grounds Rejected; Court Emphasizes Adherence to Statutory Norms
News Report:
The Patna High Court has reinforced the mandatory attendance requirement for engineering students, dismissing appeals for relaxation based on medical grounds. The division bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice P.B. Bajanthri and Justice Alok Kumar Sinha, ruled against appellants Shashikesh Kumar and others, who sought condonation for attendance shortages due to medical issues, specifically jaundice.
The appellants, students at Bihar Engineering University-affiliated colleges, had petitioned for a re-examination and relaxation of the 75% attendance rule, citing unfortunate circumstances during their academic tenure. Despite submitting medical documents to justify their absences, the court maintained that statutory regulations mandating 75% attendance are binding and cannot be overridden by sympathetic considerations or medical grounds.
The court highlighted that mere submission of examination fees and acceptance of examination forms does not imply condonation of attendance shortages. It also rejected claims of discrimination, asserting that the appellants failed to provide credible evidence proving that similarly placed students were treated differently.
In reaffirming the statutory requirement, the court referenced precedents including the Supreme Court judgments in Ashok Kumar Thakur v. University of Himachal Pradesh and Basawaraj v. State of Karnataka, which emphasize the adherence to statutory norms and reject the notion of negative equality under Article 14.
The judgment serves as a reminder that statutory requirements in education must be upheld uniformly, regardless of individual circumstances. The court's decision underscores the importance of maintaining academic rigor and discipline within educational institutions.
Bottom Line:
Students debarred from appearing in examinations due to attendance shortage cannot seek relaxation of statutory requirements based on medical grounds or claims of discrimination without credible evidence.
Statutory provision(s): Article 14 of the Constitution of India, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) regulations.
