The Supreme Court on Tuesday strongly disapproved of law students skipping classes to roam around campus and stayed a Delhi High Court order that had said no student could be prevented from taking exams due to lack of minimum attendance.
Court's Observations
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, while issuing notice on a batch of petitions filed by law colleges and the Bar Council of India against the High Court order, remarked that all National Law Universities were suffering because of low attendance. The bench said, "In the meantime, effect and operation of paragraph 249 of the impugned judgment shall remain stayed. However, the same shall be effective prospectively."
Arguments Presented
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for one of the petitioners, argued that the High Court order had "given a premium to bypass discipline" and encouraged students not to attend classes. The Supreme Court noted that the High Court order could be considered a free pass by students to avoid attending classes.
Background
The Delhi High Court had earlier directed that no student enrolled in any law college, university, or institution shall be detained from taking an exam or prevented from further academic pursuits or career progression on the grounds of lack of minimum attendance. This order was challenged by law colleges and the Bar Council of India, who argued that it undermined academic discipline.
The Supreme Court has posted the petitions for hearing on July 21, and the stay will remain in effect until then. The decision is seen as a significant intervention to uphold attendance requirements in legal education.
