The Allahabad High Court has issued a directive to Allahabad University, instructing the administration to compensate a student, Ajay Singh, with Rs 50,000 for being denied admission to the master’s degree course despite successfully clearing the entrance examination. Justice Ashutosh Srivastava highlighted the university’s alteration of eligibility rules after the commencement of the selection process for the MA in women’s studies course for the academic session 2022-2023.

In its decision, the court emphasized that the university’s amended criteria could not retroactively be applied to Singh’s case, stating that he had cleared the entrance exam but was rejected based on eligibility criteria introduced on June 25, 2022, and notified on July 29, 2022.

The petitioner’s counsel argued against the university’s decision, asserting that altering the rules post the entrance test registration period (June 11 to July 1) was unjust. The court, in its decision dated January 10, acknowledged the advanced stage of the academic session, rendering Singh’s reconsideration for admission impractical.

The court noted that Singh had endured significant hardships, having been dragged into unnecessary litigation and compelled to approach the court on multiple occasions. Consequently, the court deemed Singh eligible for compensation and ordered the university to deposit Rs 50,000 within a fortnight.

“The petitioner is liable to be compensated with costs quantified at Rs 50,000 which shall be payable to the petitioner by the university within a fortnight,” the court declared. The compensation is a recognition of the petitioner’s sufferings and the undue legal challenges he faced. The ruling underscores the importance of fair and consistent application of admission criteria, preventing unnecessary hurdles for students and promoting transparency in academic processes.

Source: PTI

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