Girl misses deadline to submit exam form, HC comes to rescue

GUWAHATI: The Meghalaya high court came to the rescue of a law student from Arunachal Pradesh, allowing her to submit an exam form after the deadline on humanitarian grounds.
Yaken Dagiam, a fifth-semester student of Shillong Law College, hails from a remote area in Arunachal Pradesh.

Right before the deadline for submission of the exam form, she had to rush home after her grandfather fell ill and, later, she got sick as well. She could make it back only by November 14, six days after the submission deadline.

She approached the high court with an appeal to allow her to sit for the exam, scheduled to begin on December 4.

The counsel for the college had told the court about the difficulties it would face in accepting her examination form, which had to be filed online, because that would have disturbed the whole system and could give rise to a precedent.

Chief justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir, in his order, said, “The situation as had arisen was beyond her control. The topography of Arunachal Pradesh is known, petitioner claims to be residing in the remote area of Arunachal Pradesh, her grandfather was ill, she had to rush and then herself fell ill, under such circumstances, the University authorities are supposed to be a bit lenient so that the career of the petitioner is protected.”

He pointed out specifically, however, that the case “being exceptional, shall not be open to be quoted as a precedent.”

Justice Mir said, “True it is that there can be no leniency but when circumstances are beyond control, it would be a travesty of justice to deny the prayer, to such type of candidate that too when there is no disqualification forthcoming.”

He added, “As an exceptional case, the respondent authorities shall entertain her examination form subject to other eligibilities. The respondent authorities are expected to complete the formalities whatever required so that the petitioner is able to take examination of 5th semester scheduled from 04.12.2018.”