Supreme Court to Review Attendance Norms in Legal Education

The Supreme Court will hear a plea challenging a Delhi High Court ruling that prevents law colleges from barring students due to low attendance. This follows a case linked to the 2016 suicide of student Sushant Rohilla, sparking debates on mental health and educational norms.

The Supreme Court has agreed to review a plea contesting the Delhi High Court's decision that bars law colleges and universities from prohibiting students with low attendance from taking exams. The Supreme Court's bench, including Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and Vijay Bishnoi, highlighted concerns that such leniency might turn hostels into mere boarding facilities.

The court has invited responses from the Bar Council of India (BCI) and other entities regarding the challenge to the high court's verdict. The decision comes in the wake of mental health concerns related to the case of law student Sushant Rohilla, who died by suicide in 2016 after being barred from exams due to insufficient attendance.

Responding to these issues, the high court emphasized the importance of forming grievance redressal committees at educational institutions to protect students' mental health. Additionally, the BCI is tasked with revisiting attendance norms to incorporate broader educational activities, ensuring institutions cannot enforce more stringent requirements than those specified by the BCI.