The Allahabad High Court held that the right to appear in examinations is an essential part of the right to live with dignity under Article 21. The court directed Rajju Bhaiya University to hold a special exam within two weeks.
The Allahabad High Court established that the right to participate in examinations is an essential aspect of the right to live with dignity as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The court ordered Rajju Bhaiya University to arrange a special examination within two weeks for a first-year BSc Biology student who was unable to receive an admit card due to a technical error.
Justice Vivek Saran noted in the ruling dated January 12 that the student was not to blame for the situation, emphasizing that her academic prospects should not be hindered by a mistake in updating records on the university’s portal.
The court asserted that denying a student the chance to sit for an examination, especially when all necessary procedures have been followed, constitutes a breach of her fundamental rights.
The petitioner, Shreya Pandey, is enrolled at Urmila Devi PG College in Handia, which is affiliated with Rajju Bhaiya University.
According to her petition, she paid the required fees on July 16, 2025, and consistently attended classes.
However, when the schedule for the first semester examinations was released, she was denied an admit card.
The issue arose from the university’s failure to update her admission records on the “Samarth Portal” within the designated timeframe. While her application was visible as a draft, it was never finalized in the system.
The college administration indicated that approximately 30 students faced similar issues. Ultimately, records for 25 students were amended, but not for Shreya.
Highlighting that the fault was purely technical and beyond the petitioner’s control, the High Court stated that her future should not be jeopardized due to administrative negligence.
The court referenced the precedent set in Rahul Pandey v. Union of India (2025), which recognized that the right to appear in an examination is a fundamental right under Article 21.
Issuing a mandatory interim directive for the university to conduct a special exam for the petitioner within two weeks, Justice Saran remarked,
“The right to appear in an examination is akin to the right to live with human dignity,”
The university has also been instructed to promptly publish the results, allowing the student to continue her studies without unnecessary delays.
Furthermore, the court directed the university to update the petitioner’s admission records in a timely manner.
The case is set for further proceedings on February 10, 2026.
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