The Delhi High Court on Monday, November 4, ruled that no law student across India can be barred from examinations due to insufficient attendance. A division bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh, and Amit Sharma also prohibited colleges from denying promotion or exam entry solely on attendance shortfalls.

The bench introduced safeguards to curb rigid academic policies that endanger students’ mental well-being.

“This court is strongly of the view that norms in education in general and legal education in particular, can’t be so stringent so as to lead to mental trauma, let alone death of a student,” the bench said.

The order disposed of a suo-motu petition sparked by the 2016 suicide of Sushant Rohilla, a third-year Amity Law School student, allegedly driven to take his life after being debarred from semester exams for low attendance.

The Supreme Court registered the petition in September 2016; it was transferred to the Delhi High Court in March 2017.

The High Court instructed the Bar Council of India (BCI) to immediately launch consultations with student bodies, parents, and teachers to revise its attendance regulations.