Bangalore University: High Court relief for PhD student

BENGALURU: Impressed by the persistent attempts of a student to pursue the PhD course, the Karnataka High Court stepped in and assisted 25-year-old G Anusha by directing the Bangalore University to process her application for the course.

Anusha, daughter of G P Divakara, was pursuing a Masters of Engineering course when she made the decision to pursue the PhD. While she had appeared for her exams, the results were yet to be announced. She still went ahead and applied for the entrance examination of the PhD course starting in the 2016-17 academic year at Bangalore University.

However, she was told that the University could not consider her application as her ME results had not been announced. Without losing hope, Anusha went to the High Court and filed a writ petition challenging the University's decision to not permit her to sit for the entrance exam as it violated the PhD regulations 2013.

Hearing her petition, the HC had passed an interim order on April 21, 2017 allowing her to sit for the entrance exams and exam related classes for the 2016-17 academic year.  Accordingly, she appeared for the exams for admission to the PhD course of Bangalore University.   On April 5, 2018, the court directed the counsel of the varsity to secure the results and accordingly same was produced.

Justice A S Bopanna said: "As on the date of PhD course had commenced, Anusha had successfully completed the ME course, the credit of such successful attempt of Anusha in completing the ME before the Ph D course commenced and also having successfully completed the PhD entrance exam cannot be denied to Anusha, though the instant case cannot be treated as a precedent for any other course."