Court provides relief to Indraprastha University students

NEW DELHI - Providing relief to over 100 students of Indraprastha University, the Delhi High Court Tuesday allowed their petition against being denied promotion to the next academic year under the university’s strict new rules.

The court directed the university to promote the students who had moved court and sought relief against the new rules of the university.

The university did not promote students from various courses like B.Tech, MBA, MCA and others on the ground that the criteria for promotion under Indraprastha Vishwa Vidyalay Act for the next academic year, 2010-2011, was amended by the board of management in August last year. The new criteria would be applicable to the batches of 2009-10 and onwards.

Alleging that the decision of the management was not communicated either to their colleges or to them, 107 students from various colleges under the university in the National Capital Region (NCR) filed a petition before Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw.

Appearing for the students, counsel Geeta Luthra, assisted by Sanjeev Sahay, submitted that the students were suddenly denied promotion to academic year 2010-2011 in July this year. She contended that the university’s changed criteria was arbitrary and illegal.

According to the petitioners, earlier, the students had the liberty to carry over all papers in which they had failed to the next year and the only criteria was that at the time of completion of final year they have to ensure minimum number of points.

However, as per the amended rules, a student will be promoted to the next academic year if he/she secures 50 percent of the total credit and 90 percent of the total credit of all previous academic years, the students said.

The failed students will be declared to have taken academic breaks to reappear in such exam and only two academic breaks were permitted for a student, as per the new rule.