Allow engineering student to continue studies: Court tells Anna University

The petitioner was diagnosed with allergic rhinitis due to which she could not attend classes for two years.  

The Madras High Court has directed Anna University and the Director of Technical Education to allow a student, who was absent from the institute for two years due to illness, continue studies in the third year of an engineering course and permit her to write the fifth semester exam scheduled to take place in January. 

The petitioner, R Nithya, said she was allotted a seat in electronics and communication engineering at a private college at nearby Padur by Anna University and she completed two years of the course. In the meantime, she was diagnosed with allergic rhinitis due to which she could not attend classes for two years and the college forcefully issued her a transfer certificate. She recovered from the ailment in 2020 and started attending colleges from July 2021. 

She said she has fifth semester fee of INR 2,500 for six subjects and three practical exams scheduled to be held in January. Despite the payment of the exam fee, she did not receive her registration number. 

She said she was then told by the university to start the course from the first year. Coming to the rescue of the student, the judge referred to the Regulations of Anna University, more especially Regulation 5.1, which prescribed that students who have been enrolled to Bachelor of Engineering degree from the Higher Secondary stream are to complete the course within 14 semester period, meaning thereby, the students should complete the course within seven years. 

The court said rejecting the case of the petitioner for continuance and to write the examination is wholly unsustainable and the same is liable to be interfered with. It directed the university and the college to allow her to write the fifth semester exam within a week. 

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