IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 29^TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR WRIT PETITION NO.31312 OF 2025 (EDN-RES)

BETWEEN:

SMT. VARDHINI ARUNKUMAR THATTAR, AGED ABOUT 16 YEARS, MINOR REPRESENTED BY HER FATHER AND NATURAL GUARDIAN, SRI. ARUNKUMAR NARAYANACHAR THATTAR NO.21/1, BHARADWAJ, 5^TH MAIN ROAD, RAGHAVENDRA LAYOUT, HOSKEREHALLI, BSK 3^RD STAGE, BANGALORE – 560 085.

…PETITIONER (BY SRI. KESHAV R. AGNIHOTRI, ADVOCATE)

AND:

1. NATIONAL TESTING AGENCY (NTA)

FIRST FLOOR, NSIC-MDBP BUILDING, OKHLA INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, NEW DELHI – 110 020 REPRESENTED BY DIRECTOR (EXAMS).

2. UNION OF INDIA, Digitally signed DEPT. OF HIGHER EDUCATION, by CHANDANA SHASTRI BHAWAN, B M DR. RAJENDRA PRASAD ROAD, Location: High NEW DELHI-110 001 Court of REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY.

Karnataka

3. KARNATAKA SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATION BOARD (KSEEB), 6^TH CROSS, MALLESWARAM, BENGALURU – 560 003.

REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY.

…RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. H. SHANTHI BHUSHAN, DSGI FOR R-1; SRI.M. UNNIKRISHNAN, ADVOCATE FOR R-2 &

SRI. K. MANJUNATH K., HCGP FOR R-3)

THIS W.P. IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO CALL FOR RECORDS PERTAINING TO THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PETITIONER ON THE FILE OF THE RESPONDENTS HEREIN VIDE REPRESENTATION DT. 03/10/2025 ANNEXURE-J AND REPRESENTATION DT. 09/10/2025 ANNEXURE-M RESPECTIVELY AND ETC.

THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR

ORAL ORDER

In this petition, petitioner seeks the following reliefs:

“(i) Call for records pertaining to the representations of the petitioner on the file of the respondents herein vide representation dated 03/10/2025 Annexure-J and representation dated 09/10/2025 Annexure-M, respectively, (ii) Pass an appropriate writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus directing the respondents herein to consider the representation of the Petitioner dated 03/10/2025 Annexure-J and Representation dated 09/10/2025 Annexure-M respectively and do the needful in favour of the petitioner, (iii) Pass an appropriate writ, order or direction in the nature of certiorari quashing the impugned Public Notice dated 29.09.2025 issued by the respondent No.1 vide Annexure-G as being unreasonable, arbitrary and violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India or in the alternative issue writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus directing the respondent No.1 to receive the online application of the petitioner without insisting for strict compliance of matching the name of the applicant in the SSLC Marks Card vide Annexure-A, (iv) Pass an appropriate writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus directing the respondent No.3/KSEEB to issue the corrected SSLC Marks Card of the petitioner as expeditiously as possible AND (v) Pass such other necessary orders as deemed just and expedient in the circumstances of the case along with the costs of this petition, thereby allowing the above writ petition in the interest of justice and equity.”

2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned counsel for the respondents and perused the material on record.

3. A perusal of the material on record will indicate that the petitioner’s full name is Kum. Vardhini Arunkumar Thattar daughter of Sri. Arunkumar Narayanachar Thattar and Smt. Bharathi K. The petitioner having been born on 24.08.2008 has obtained updated Birth Certificate, which indicates her full name as Kum.Vardhini Arunkumar Thattar. Similarly, her Aadhar Card has also been updated by showing her full name as Kum. Vardhini Arunkumar Thattar. However, despite representations submitted by the petitioner to the SSLC Board, PU Board, her name still continued to remain as Kum. Vardhini A.T. instead of Kum. Vardhini Arunkumar Thattar. Similarly, respondent No.1 – National Testing Agency (NTA) issued a public notice dated 29.09.2025 interalia contending that for the purpose of applying for Joint