Mumbai: College bars students with low attendance from taking exam

Barred students and their parents met the college authorities yesterday to discuss the issue

Being casual about their attendance in college has landed 100-odd students of Kandivli Education Society's MH Shroff College in trouble. Their exam is starting today, but they can't appear for it, as their attendance is far below 75 per cent, the mandatory requirement. The FYBCom students along with their parents are knocking on all possible doors, seeking relaxation in rules in order to save the academic year.

After three students of NM College were given relief by the Bombay High Court in this regard on medical grounds, students of the Kandivli college and their parents want similar relief. But the Shroff college administration is in no mood for it, stating that the students as well as parents were given multiple warnings.

Parents say
"My daughter's attendance is above 58 per cent. As per the regulation, students are given relaxation of 25 per cent on medical grounds. In that case, she should not have a problem. But the college has taken a very strict stand. We have been going to different authorities for the past few days. Now, the examination is here, and these children will lose an academic year," said Dilip Panchal, a parent. He said his daughter could not attend college because of ill health.

When parents approached MU's Students' Grievance Cell, a letter was given to them by Deputy Registrar Sunil Khatel, stating the principal should look into the cases of students whose attendance is between 50 and 60 per cent. "Though the Students' Grievance Cell has intervened, the college hasn't changed its stand," said Panchal. Another parent, Sachin Rathod, who claimed his daughter too had been ill, said, "In several colleges, there have been other ways in which this problem is dealt with. We can't understand why this college is taking such a strict stand."

College says
Principal Dr Lily Bhushan, said, "These students were given several warnings. Parents too were informed about their wards' low attendance through letters. But all seem to have taken cognisance of the issue only at the last moment.

We are just following the regulation and have all the required paperwork to prove our stand. The HC has given relief to three students on bonafide medical grounds. Some of our students have submitted medical certificates even for those days on which they were present in class. That clearly proves the authenticity of the medical certificate as well as students' casual attitude, as they don't even remember the dates on which they missed lectures."

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