The gold medal award for the topper of B.A. (Hons.) (Economics) for the academic session 2017-2020 will be shared between two students--one who was already declared topper by Delhi University and another who got the highest marks after re-evaluation process.
The development came after the Delhi High Court last week struck down a 2014 circular issued by Delhi University, which barred re-evaluated marks from consideration for award of gold medals.
‘Highly unfair’
Justice Rekha Palli noted that the university cannot overlook that if a student’s mark has increased after re-evaluation, it is evident that there was an error of judgment on the part of the previous examiners. The judge said that it would be highly unfair for the candidate, whose marks have increased after re-evaluation, to suffer.
The High Court’s order came on a petition by Annie Gurmeher Kaur secured the highest marks in B.A. Hons. (Economics) in the university after re-evaluation. However, the university, relying upon its 2014 circular, declined to consider her candidature for the medals and prizes.
Ms. Kaur completed the course in 2020. When the result of the sixth semester exams were declared on November 2, 2020, being dissatisfied with the marks obtained by her in the ‘Indian Economy 2’ paper, she opted to apply for re- evaluation.
Upon re-valuation, the result was declared on February 11, 2021, and her marks increased from 52 to 58 and consequently, her aggregate CGPA also increased from 9.595 to 9.635. However, before the result of the re-valuation was declared, the university on February 5, 2021, released a tentative list of candidates who were to be awarded medals and prizes during its 97th annual convocation to be held on February 27, 2021.
Cites circular
Ms. Kaur then approached the Dean of Examination with a request that she be also considered for grant of medal to be awarded to the highest scorer in B.A. (Hons)(Economics). The university, however, rejected her request saying that the medals could only be awarded on the basis of the original marks secured by the candidate as per the 2014 circular.
The High Court, while quashing the 2014 circular, remarked that the university’s decision to not consider Ms. Kaur as eligible for the award of medal as the highest scorer was “clearly unsustainable and arbitrary”.
Justice Palli said that it would be unfair to Yashwani Shekhawat, who was declared as the topper, as per the tentative list issued by the university, to deprive her of the medal/prize for which she was found eligible as per the 2014 circular. The judge directed the university to issue the awards and prizes for the highest scorer in B.A. (Hons.) (Economics) for the academic session 2017-2020 jointly to Ms. Kaur and Ms. Shekhawat.
