HYDERABAD: A division bench of Telangana High Court, on Wednesday, directed the National Institute of Technology (NIT) at Warangal to convene a senate meeting on January 24 to decide on an appeal filed by a student who was suspended from the institute for consuming ganja on campus. The senate has asked to report its decision to the court on January 27.
The bench observed that a sense of mercy is required while dealing with issues concerning the future of students. Authorities ought to shed their ego and anger if students approach the court for relief, it said.
The bench comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy passed this order following an appeal by a BTech first-year student. He sought permission from NIT authorities to attend classes and write examinations for the academic year of 2019-20.
On Tuesday, the petitioner’s counsel told the court that his client was not allowed to attend classes or write the first semester exams. He argued that the punishment was too harsh. On the other hand, NIT standing counsel T Mahender Rao submitted that the institute had suspended about 33 students for indiscipline. A lenient stance would render the college helpless in dealing with unruly students.
After hearing both sides, the bench directed the Vice-Chancellor to inform the HC whether he was willing to allow petitioner student to write exams. When the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, the NIT counsel informed the court that the final decision on the student concerned would be taken by the Senate and not by the VC.
Only students with 80 per cent attendance would be allowed to write the examination. Besides, students addicted to drugs would affect other students as well, the NIT counsel said, adding that if the petitioner was permitted to attend classes, the 33 suspended students would also approach court. Not satisfied with the submissions of the NIT counsel, the HC bench said that people could not be stopped from approaching court for principles of natural justice. In fact, it appeared that NIT authorities were angry with the student for approaching court, the bench observed.