Supreme Court Dismisses Goa Medical College Students' Revaluation Petition
The Supreme Court of India has dismissed a special leave petition filed by students of Goa Medical College. The petition challenged a high court order that refused to direct the revaluation of their answer books for a crucial medical examination.
Court's Firm Stance on Non-Interference
A bench of the Supreme Court stated clearly, "We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment and order passed by the high court; hence, the special leave petition is dismissed." This decision reinforces the legal principle of judicial restraint in academic matters governed by institutional rules.
Background of the Students' Legal Battle
The dispute originated when the students approached the Goa High Court seeking directions for Goa University to conduct a re-evaluation of their answer books. This pertained to the third professional (final year) MBBS part II supplementary examination held in April–May of the previous year.
As an alternative, the petitioners requested a re-examination of the answer sheets of all students who had failed that particular examination. Their primary grievance was that they were only permitted to apply for verification of marks, not for a full re-evaluation process.
Verification Process and Unchanged Results
Following the verification procedure conducted by the university, all the students were again declared to have failed the examination. Crucially, there were no changes in their marks post-verification, which prompted them to escalate their demand for revaluation through legal channels.
High Court's December 2025 Ruling
The Goa High Court, in its final order dated December 4, 2025, had dismissed the students' petition after careful consideration. The court observed two key factors:
- There was an absence of any provision for re-evaluation in the relevant university ordinances.
- A specific bar against re-evaluation was explicitly mentioned in Ordinance OA-5.
The high court further noted that no error had been committed by Goa University in refusing permission for re-evaluation applications. The court held that when the students appeared for the examination, the prohibition under Ordinance OA-5 against revaluation was fully operational, thereby legally preventing them from making any such application.
Implications of the Supreme Court Decision
By refusing to interfere with the high court's judgment, the Supreme Court has effectively upheld the autonomy of educational institutions in establishing and enforcing their examination procedures. This ruling emphasizes that courts typically defer to academic bodies on matters of evaluation unless there is evidence of procedural malpractices or violations of fundamental rights.
The case highlights the ongoing tension between students' aspirations for fair assessment and institutional regulations governing examination processes in professional medical education.
