The Madras High Court has directed the Anna University and the Director of Technical Education to allow a student, who was absent for two years due to illness, to continue his studies in the third year of an engineering course and write the fifth, semester wise exam to be held in January.
As per the advice of the college, he paid the fifth semester fee of Rs 2,500 for six subjects and three practical exams to be held in January. Despite paying the examination fee, he could not get his registration number for the same. Finally, he was asked by the university to start the course from the first year. Hence, the present writ petition.
However, as per the order of regulation 5.1 also, the students of higher secondary stream will have to complete the course within 14 semesters. Even if the petitioner is allowed to write the examination at present, she will be in the ninth semester only out of a total of 14 semesters and, therefore, she is within the regulations laid down by the University.
Left studies for two years:
In the case, the petitioner had stopped her studies for two years between April 2018 and mid-2020 and thereafter joined the college for the fifth semester. In the intervening period, he had not pursued the course for four semesters out of a total of eight semesters, except for the four semesters he had completed. She has two more years of study, that is, four semesters and if she is allowed to write the exam for four semesters, then in total she will be able to complete only 12 semesters.
That being the case, dismissing the petitioner’s case for continuing and writing the examination is completely untenable and can be interfered with, the judge said and asked the university and college to allow him to write the fifth semester examination, instructed within a week.
Coming to the student’s defence, the judge referred to the Regulations of Anna University, specifically Regulation 5.1, which stipulates that student who have been enrolled for Bachelor of Engineering degree from higher secondary stream will be required to take a period of 14 semesters. To complete the course within. That is, students have to complete the course within seven years.
