The Karnataka High Court on Monday quashed a decision by the Council of India and Karnataka State Law University to conduct intermediate semester exams for first to fourth-year students of the five-year law degree. Justice R Devdas passed the order, while disposing the petitions filed by B Ritvik Balanagraj and other intermediate semester students.
The court said that the press release on November 1, 2020 by the Bar Council of India and the circular on November 9, 2020 by the Karnataka State Law University are quashed and set aside with respect to intermediate semester exams. Senior counsel AS Ponnanna, representing one of the petitioners, contended that when the University Grants Commission has issued guidelines directing promotion of university students to the next year awarding 50 per cent of marks based on internal assessments and another 50 per cent on the basis of previous exams, which was also upheld by the Supreme Court, the University and the Bar Council cannot compel students other than final-year students to write the exams.
Quashing the timetable announced by the Karnataka State Law University for first to fourth-year students, along with the notifications dated January 13 and 29, 2021, the court said the University may announce a fresh timetable for odd semesters only. For even semester exams, the court said that it should be based on the internal assessments and performance of previous semester exams. Mark cards too should be issued for even semesters, it said.