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2025 Supreme(Online)(Kar) 30328
KARNATAKA HIGH COURT
MR S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR, J
DR. KRUTHI K. SHETTY – Appellant
Versus
RAJIV GANDHI UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES – Respondent
WRIT PETITION NO.6113 OF 2025 (EDN-EX)
For the Appellants/Petitioners: SMT. SUMANA BALIGA M
For the Respondents: SMT. FARAH FATHIMA, SRI. N. KHETTY
The court ruled that rounding off exam marks is a standard mathematical practice and does not constitute granting grace marks, promoting fairness in academic evaluations.
Headnote:(A) Constitution of India - Article 226 and 227 - Writ petition seeking to round off marks from 49.25% to 50% to declare the petitioner as 'Pass' in the examination - The court relied on previous decisions to direct the university to round off the percentage, noting that rounding off is a standard mathematical practice. (Paras 6, 8, 10)
(B) Academic Evaluations - Rounding off procedure is legitimate and should be applied uniformly to ensure fairness in academic results, as seen in students' cases with marks that are marginally below passing. (Paras 7, 9, 10)
Facts of the case:
The petitioner, after completing her MBBS, joined a PG course and was awarded 49.25% in her examination, seeking rounding off based on past judgments for equity.
Findings of Court:
The court found that the petitioner is entitled to have her marks rounded off and declared as having passed the examination.
Issues: The primary issue was whether rounding off marks can be considered as granting grace marks or is simply an arithmetic practice.
Ratio Decidendi: The court concluded that rounding off does not equate to granting grace marks, affirming the principle that marks should reflect the true performance with appropriate rounding applied.
Result: Writ petition is allowed, and RGUHS is directed to round off marks and declare the petitioner as pass.
| Table of Content |
|---|
| 1. counsel arguments regarding merit and circumstances. (Para 2 , 4 , 5) |
| 2. petition seeks rounding off of marks to pass. (Para 3 , 6) |
| 3. court rules rounding off is a standard practice. (Para 7) |
| 4. court's concern about equitable treatment in evaluations. (Para 8) |
ORAL ORDER
In this petition, petitioner seeks for following reliefs:
“1. Issue of an appropriate writ, order or direction to the respondent to consider the marks awarded to the petitioner for the examination in the discipline of M.D., in Radiation Oncology, held in January 2025, conducted by the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences by rounding off the marks from 49.25% to 50% as per the decision of this Hon’ble Court in RP.No.384/2022, W.A.No.909/2025 and W.P.No.4090/2025 and declare petitioner as PASS.
2. Direct the respondent to issue fresh marks card after rounding off the marks from 49.25% to 50%.
3. Grant such other relief/s that this Hon’ble Court may deem fit in the facts and circumstances of the matter.”
2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned counsel for respondent No.1 – RGUHS and learned counsel for respondent No.2 – National Medical Council of India and perused the material on record.
3. A perusal of the material on record will indicate that after completing of her MBBS Degree, the petitioner joined Post Graduation Course in Radiation Oncology at AJ Institute of Medical Sciences, Mangaluru which is affiliated to the first respondent – RGUHS. In January 2025, the first respondent – RGUHS conducted Post Graduation examination, in which, the petitioner obtained 49.25% marks in theory paper. It is the specific contention of the petitioner that in the light of the judgment of this Court in the case of DR.K.SREE LAXMI V/S. RAJIV GANDHI UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES AND ANOTHER in W.P.No.3438/2025 and Connected Matters dated 24.02.2025, this Court has come to the conclusion that the petitioner would be entitled to rounding off the percentage of marks of 49.25% obtained by her to be rounded off to 50% which would enable her to pass the examination. It is therefore submitted that present writ petition also deserves to be allowed and dispose of in terms of the aforesaid judgment in DR.K.SREE LAXMI’s case supra.
4. Per contra, learned counsel Smt.Farah Fathima for respondent No.1 – RGUHS would reiterate the various contentions urged in the statement of objections and submits that there is no merit in the writ petition and the same is liable to be dismissed.
5. As rightly contended by the learned counsel for the petitioner, it is an undisputed fact as borne out from the material on record that the petitioner obtained 49.25% in the examinations taken by her in January-2025. The question/issue as to whether a student obtaining 49.25%/49.50%/49.75% in Post Graduation examinations conducted by the first respondent – RGUHS can be rounded off to 50% so as to enable a student to passing percentage of marks came up for consideration before this Court in DR.K.SREE LAXMI’s case supra, wherein it is held as under:
“ORAL ORDER
Since all these writ petitions involve common questions, the writ petitions are taken up together.
2. The petitioners are aggrieved by the conduct of the respondents in not rounding off the percentage to the next nearest number and not extending the benefit of rounding off to the petitioners.
3. In W.P.No.3438/2025, the petitioner is seeking an appropriate writ / order or direction:
“Declaring the Petitioner as “Pass” in the examination in the discipline of MD Pediatric examination conducted by RGUHS held in January 2025 by rounding off the marks from 49.75% to 50% as per the decision made by this Hon’ble court in W.P. No.11348/2020, W.A. 547/2021 & R.P. 384/2021 and as per the decision of Syndicate meeting held on 12-11-2020.”
In W.P.No.3443/2025, the petitioner is seeking an appropriate writ / order or direction:
“declaring the Petitioner as “Pass” in the examination in the discipline of MD General Medicine examination conducted by R
