6 hrs ago
Kerala High Court Rejects Student’s Short Attendance Plea
A student wanted to take an examination even though her attendance was considered too low.
She said her college had recorded some of her attendance incorrectly.
The High Court first allowed her to register temporarily and told her to take her complaint to a student-grievance board.
The board checked the records and rejected her complaint.
The student then returned to the High Court.
The court found that her attendance was between 59% and 69%.
It said this was below the allowed limit and found no clear unfair treatment by the college.
The court explained that being sympathetic cannot mean ignoring the rules, so it dismissed her plea.
The Kerala High Court dismissed a student’s challenge after she was denied examination registration for insufficient attendance.
The student claimed the college had made serious errors and omitted attendance entries when calculating her attendance.
The Board of Adjudication for Student Grievances reviewed the records but found no irregularity and rejected her appeal.
The court said the student’s attendance was between 59% and 69%, which was below the respondents’ stated condonable limit.
The court ruled that sympathy cannot override statutory rules and that judicial interference in academic decisions is limited.
- Who
- A student, her college, the Board of Adjudication for Student Grievances, the University, and the Kerala High Court.
- What
- The Kerala High Court dismissed the student’s plea challenging the denial of examination registration because of attendance shortage.
- Where
- The Kerala High Court in Kerala.
- When
- The court issued its decision on September 1; the examination was scheduled to begin on March 9, 2026.
- Why
- The court found that the grievance board had reviewed the attendance records, found no irregularity, and that the student’s attendance was below the condonable limit.
Student’s Position
College and University Position
Attendance records
Student’s Position
The student argued that the college had failed to mark attendance properly, omitted entries, and made errors that affected the calculation.
College and University Position
The University said the records had been examined by the Board of Adjudication for Student Grievances, which found no irregularity warranting interference.
Treatment by the college
Student’s Position
The student’s senior counsel alleged that attendance had been deliberately omitted to defeat her examination registration.
College and University Position
The court noted that the student had not alleged bad faith by the college management and found no reason to conclude that she had been unfairly singled out.
Role of sympathy and court intervention
Student’s Position
The student sought relief from the attendance requirement so she could register for the examination.
College and University Position
The court held that sympathy cannot override statutory rules and that its power to interfere with academic authorities under Article 226 is limited.
Key facts
- Court
- Kerala High Court
- Judge
- Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas
- Attendance recorded
- Between 59% and 69%
- Examination date
- Scheduled to begin March 9, 2026
- Reviewing body
- Board of Adjudication for Student Grievances
- Initial court direction
- The student was provisionally registered and permitted to approach the grievance board
- Final outcome
- The High Court dismissed the student’s plea
Quotes
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas
Kerala High Court judge who decided the student’s petition
“Courts cannot compel condonation of shortage of attendance as a measure of leniency, as sympathy cannot override statutory rules and regulations. Sympathy, ignoring the regulations, can only be regarded as misplaced sympathy, which can do more harm to the entire student community as well as to the public.”
indianexpress.com
“Even the appellate authority, after perusing the records, did not find any reason to discard the version of the college authorities that the petitioner did not have sufficient attendance. This Court also does not find any reason to disbelieve the contention of the college authorities.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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