Why collect exam fees for cancelled examinations, Madras High Court asks Anna University

Orders declaration of results of all students even if they had not paid fees

The Madras High Court on Friday directed Anna University to declare the results of all engineering students, whose semester examinations were cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation, irrespective of whether they had paid examination fees or not.

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh also directed the university, represented by Additional Advocate General Narmadha Sampath, to file a detailed counter affidavit explaining why it was demanding examination fee for the examinations that were not conducted.

After ordering that the counter should be filed by September 1, the judge said if ultimately, the court gets convinced with the demand, it would direct the students concerned to pay the necessary fees towards expenses incurred for assessment and preparation of mark list.

The interim order was passed on a writ petition filed by S. Hariharan, a third-year civil engineering student of a private college in Salem district. His counsel K. Duraisamy said it was not fair on the part of Anna University to not release results of those who had not paid exam fees.

He pointed out that the State government had last month ordered cancellation of semester examinations of all undergraduate as well as postgraduate students studying in first to pre-final year. Accordingly, Anna University too issued modalities for implementing the orders.

The Controller of Examinations on August 1 called for details of attendance and internal assessment marks secured by the students of all engineering colleges affiliated to it so that they could be awarded the deficit marks and all students could be declared pass during this semester.

In the same communication, the CoE had also demanded payment of examination fees of Rs.1,450 from every student. Claiming that there were around seven lakh engineering students across the State, he said the total amount would run to several crores of rupees.

Questioning the necessity for collecting such a huge amount for an examination that was never conducted, he urged the court to set aside the demand and order declaration of results without insisting upon payment of fees.