Telangana HC directs KIMS, KNRUHS to allow student with attendance shortage to write exams

A few students who couldn't qualify to take the final exam due to a shortage in attendance had approached the Telangana High Court. On Monday, February 20, the Telangana High Court directed the principal of KIMS and the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) to allow the petitioner to appear for the exams, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.

The exams are scheduled to be held from today, February 21 to March 6. And this decision by the Telangana High Court comes as a great relief to students. While claiming that she has completed her MBBS final year at the Kamineni Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) college, petitioner Jonnalagadda Aruna sought the court's direction, declaring the refusal of KNR University of Health Sciences and the KIMS to let her sit for the final year part-II regular examinations as illegal and to order the respondents to open the examination fee link with immediate effect.

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Further, the court was informed by Counsel for KNR University that the petitioner failed to meet the attendance requirement even though the university has lowered the required minimum attendance from 75% to 65% in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, petitioner's attorney informed the court that Aruna missed 3% and 1% of classes in two subjects but she had 74% to 96% attendance in both subjects in practicals.

The petitioner filed a writ petition after a single judge of the High Court rejected her plea. The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji, directed the respondents to permit the petitioner to write the exams, noting that the petitioner has a slightly lower attendance rate in two theories but she has a higher attendance percentage in practicals.