The Bombay High Court dismisses a psychology student’s plea seeking permission to appear for third-year re-examinations after she is debarred for low attendance. The student argues she cannot be held to the attendance requirement due to acute mental health issues, including depression and a personality disorder, and says denial of the chance to sit for exams would cost her an entire academic year and harm her well-being. She states she was diagnosed during her final semester and suffered a severe episode involving suicidal ideation and hallucinations, after which she returned to her hometown. She says her family informed the university about her condition but did not receive an adequate response to a later request to allow her to take the re-exams.
In its June 16 order, the court acknowledges the student’s circumstances but holds that sympathy cannot replace a legal right. It reiterates that the court’s role is limited to examining the legality of decision-making rather than rewriting academic regulations or creating exemptions not contemplated by the governing framework. The court also notes attendance rules are applied uniformly and that other students face similar debarment due to low attendance, concluding there are no exceptional grounds to interfere.
