Jamia students move High Court

Say they were not given 15 per cent attendance relaxation on medical grounds as per the rules

Students from Mass Communication department of Jamia Millia Islamia university have moved the Delhi High Court for not being allowed to sit in their final examination on grounds of short attendance by the varsity administration.


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About 17 students from the Mass Communication department and a few doing their diploma in photography have filed petitions in the court stating that they were being denied the 15 percent attendance relaxation on medical grounds as per the University rules, despite having submitted medical certificates to the university.

Unwell for long
"I had severe asthma attacks during the last month of the semester and was not able to attend the classes. I have submitted my medical reports to the department, but the administration is refusing to consider my case. Now I have filed a petition in the court which will be heard tomorrow," said Saba Rehman, an asthma patient from last 12 years who was not allowed to sit for her final exam of PG in mass communication.

Fahad Hasan, who is doing his diploma course in photography, had been struggling with jaundice for the whole year. He has 60 per cent attendance and can rightfully claim 15 percent laxity on medical grounds, but all his pleas have been rejected by the university and he has been barred from sitting in examination.

These students had even met the university vice-chancellor Najeeb Jung to request him that they be allowed to sit in the exams. However, they say the V-C was indifferent to their plea and had told them that if they were sick or poor, they shouldn't have sought admission in the university.

No comments
Prof. Ubaidu00a0 Siddiuqi, director of the Mass Communication Research Centre of the university, was non-committal about the issue. "I cannot comment on the matter right now as the matter is sub judice. The students have filed the petitions and the court will give its verdict soon. Kindly refer to them," he said. The V-C was not available for comment.

"We did everything we could to make them see our genuine medical problems. We even showed them certificates establishing the same, but of no use. We had no option left, except to seek help from the law. Our petitions are yet to be heard," said Nabila Zehra Zaidi, a PG student. The students said that if they were not allowed to sit for the exams, they will organise a bigger protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

Shown the door
In December last year the Jamia administration had decided to expel 300 students for their poor attendance records. Following a student movement organised by AISA, Jamia revoked its decision and took back some of the students.
However in April 2011, students protested against what they called undue expulsions by the university. They claimed that more than 500 students were expelled then because of their poor attendance records.