The Madras High Court on Friday upheld the order of Anna University registrar in the collection of examination fees from the college students. The court dismissing the plea observed that to exercise its judicial review in academic matters will set a bad precedent and it will give rise to future litigations where students and Institutions will start rushing to this Court questioning the fixation of fees.
Justice Anand Venkatesh in his order said, "To interfere with this decision at this point of time, will open flood gates and it will result in a chaotic situation more particularly since many colleges affiliated to Anna University have collected the examination fees and paid it to the University and under such circumstances, a few others cannot be given any exemption."Anna University justifying its decision said that only Rs 148 has been collected as examination fee for each papers. The court accepting thesubmissions in its order said, "This Court must be very slow to exercise its judicial review in academic matters since it will set avery bad precedent and it will give rise to future litigations where students and Institutions will start rushing to this Court questioning the fixation of fees. In any event, this Court finds that theexamination fees of Rs 148 for each paper and each student is notexorbitant warranting the interference of this Court.-"During the hearing, Anna University said, only after the interimorders were passed by this Court, the students stopped paying the examination fee.
Therefore, when the majority of the Institutions and students have already paid the examination fees and got their results published, it will not be in the fitness of things to grant an exception only to those who have approached this Court questioning the collection of the examination. Already 378 non-autonomous colleges affiliated to Anna University have paid the examination fee collected from the students, it added. The court observed, "Even though the examination was not conducted, the fact that the students are declared as passed from the stage of first year to pre final year, has the effect of writing theexamination and clearing the same. Therefore, it cannot be held to becompletely illogical to demand payment of examination fees from thestudents for declaring their results. It is for the same reason that the State Government permitted the Institutions to collect the examination fees from the students."The court then ordered institutions affiliated to Anna University tocollect the examination fees from the students within four weeks.
