ANKITA MEENA vs. UNIVERSITY OF DELHI

1 Non­Reportable IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (CIVIL) NO. 26484 OF 2018 and INTERLOCUTORY APPLICATION NO. 102466 OF 2020 in SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (CIVIL) NO. 26484 OF 2018 ANKITA MEENA                                                 …    PETITIONER(S) VERSUS UNIVERSITY OF DELHI                                     … RESPONDENT(S) O R D E R V. Ramasubramanian, J. 1. Challenging an order of the learned single judge, confirmed by the division bench in an intra­court appeal, refusing to interfere with the decision of the University denying permission to her to th appear in the 4   Semester LLB Examination, a student has come up with the above SLP. Signature Not Verified Digitally signed by Sanjay Kumar Date: 2021.01.22 17:07:25 IST Reason: 2. We   have   heard   learned   counsel   for   the   petitioner   and   the learned counsel for the University. 2 3. The petitioner joined the 3­year LLB Course at Law Centre­II, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi in August, 2016. By the time she joined the course she was already married for about 5 months. 4. The petitioner completed the first 3 semesters without any hindrance.   However,   she   fell   short   of   the   required   attendance th during the 4  Semester, due to two difficulties. One was that she gave birth to a baby on 22.02.2018, disabling her to attend the classes till the end of March, 2018. The second difficulty was that the Delhi University Teachers’ Association went on a strike from 16.03.2018   and   hence   the   University   could   not   conduct   the minimum number of classes as prescribed by Rule 10 of the Bar Council of India Rules. 5. Therefore,   the   petitioner   was   detained   by   a   notice   dated th 09.05.2018   and   not   permitted   to   write   the   4   Semester Examinations scheduled to commence from 12.05.2018. 6. The petitioner therefore filed a Writ Petition (Civil) No.5194 of 2018 on the file of the High Court of Delhi seeking a direction to th the   University   to   permit   her   to   appear   for   the   4   Semester 3 Examinations. But the writ petition was dismissed by an order dated 15.05.2018. 7. An intra­court appeal was filed by the petitioner in LPA No.294 of 2018, but the same was dismissed by the Division Bench by an order   dated   07.09.2018.   It   is   against   the   said   order   that   the student has come up with the above SLP. 8. On 05.10.2018 this Court ordered the issue of notice in the SLP. While doing so this Court also permitted the petitioner to attend   classes   at   her   own   risk   on   completion   of   the   required formalities.   Subsequently,   several   orders   were   passed   by   this Court, which are presented in a tabular column by the petitioner in her application I.A.No.102466 of 2020.  It reads as follows:­

4

9. Pursuant to the aforesaid orders, the petitioner appeared for th th th the examinations of the 4 , 5   and 6   Semesters. There are no 5 further examinations. The University has also declared the results th th of the 4  and 6  Semester examinations, but has not declared the th results of the 5  Semester Supplementary Examination. Therefore, the petitioner has come up with I.A.No.102466 of 2020 seeking a direction to the respondent to declare the results of the petitioner th for the 5  Semester Supplementary Examination and to grant the provisional   degree,   consolidated   mark   sheet   and   character certificate. 10. When the above interlocutory application came up for hearing, we took up the main special leave petition also, in view of what is stated hereunder. 11. From the sequence of events narrated above, it is quite clear: (i)  that the petitioner has completed the course in entirety;  (ii)  that th the results of all the semester examinations except the 5  Semester Supplementary Examination has already been declared; and   (iii) th that the  lis  in the SLP, though relates to the 4  Semester, does not actually   survive   for   an   active   adjudication   on   account   of   the subsequent developments. Once the petitioner has completed the th th course and also written the 5  and 6  Semester Examinations and 6 th even got the results of all the semester examinations except the 5 Semester   Supplementary   Examinations   published,   the adjudication of the dispute in the SLP will only be a matter of academic interest. 12. Therefore, the I.A. and the SLP are disposed of directing the th University to declare the 5  Semester supplementary Examination results of the petitioner and issue the provisional degree along with necessary certificates, if she had passed the examinations, subject to the petitioner clearing the other formalities. This order is passed in the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case. ………………………………CJI (S.A. Bobde) …………………………………J. (A.S. Bopanna) …………………………………J. (V. Ramasubramanian) New Delhi January 22, 2021