The court held that educational authorities should not mechanically penalize students for attendance shortages in cases of genuine medical exigencies and must consider representations and evidence before detaining them from examinations.

: O R D E R :

ORDER

This Writ Petition is filed seeking the following relief:

“to issue Writ Order or Direction more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus, declaring the action of respondent No.2 in detaining the petitioner vide mail dated 10.04.2026 and thereby refraining to appear B.Tech (IT)-II Year II Semester End Examination for the academic year 2025-2026 to be held on 21.04.2026, 23.04.2026, 27.04.2026, 29.04.2026 & 01.05.2026 pursuant to the examination Notification on 31.03.2026 issued by the respondent No.2 after receiving the examination fees on 24.02.2026 on the ground of shortage of attendance without considering the representation dated 20.04.2026 and Medical reports as illegal, arbitrary and violative of Article 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India and consequently direct the respondent No.2 to permit the petitioner herein to attend the B.Tech (IT)-II Year II-Semester End Examination in the light of the representation dated 20.04.2026 and Medical reports and pass such other order or orders”

2. Heard Mr. Mandadi Sai Sathwik, learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Assistant Government Pleader for Education appearing for respondent No.1. With their consent, the present writ petition is disposed of at the stage of admission itself.

3. Case of the petitioner is that she joined B.Tech (IT) in respondent No.2-college and successfully completed her first year on merit, without any backlogs and without shortage of attendance. Alongside her academics, she was undergoing treatment for a hormonal imbalance caused by enlargement of the pituitary gland, which led to several health complications. Due to her ill-health, she was able to maintain only 40.94% attendance as against the required 75%. While so, respondent No.2 issued an exam notification, dated 31.03.2026, pursuant to which she paid the requisite examination fee. However, respondent No.2 informed her through email that she was being detained from the academic year 2025-26 due to shortage of her attendance. Subsequently, her grandmother submitted a detailed representation, dated 20.04.2026, along with relevant medical records, requesting to permit the petitioner to appear for the II year II Semester examinations, but the said representation was not considered till date. Hence, the present writ petition.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the students cannot be subjected to penal consequences in a mechanical manner merely on account of shortage of attendance below the prescribed 75%, especially in cases involving genuine medical exigencies. Therefore, he prayed this Court to direct respondent No.2 to consider and dispose of the representation, dated 20.04.2026 submitted by the grandmother of the petitioner within a time bound period.

5. Learned Assistant Government Pleader for Education submits that respondent No.2 will consider the representation, dated 20.04.2026 submitted by the petitioner’s grandmother and pass appropriate orders thereon, in accordance with law.

6. In view of the submissions made by learned counsel appearing on either side, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, this Writ Petition is disposed of, directing respondent No.2 to consider and dispose of the representation, dated 20.04.2026 submitted by the petitioner’s grandmother, as expeditiously as possible, preferably, within a period of four (04) weeks, from the date of receipt of copy of this order and communicate a copy thereof to the petitioner. The said exercise shall be undertaken after issuing notice to the petitioner and affordi