HEADLINE Completion of all prescribed academic terms is mandatory for the award of a professional degree.

The petitioner, a student under the "Differently Abled" category, was enrolled in the MBA (Analytics) 2024-26 program at I.I.M. Kashipur.

He was denied promotion to the IVth Term Semester because he secured 17 Deficit Credit Points (D.C.P.), exceeding the maximum limit of 15 D.C.P.

Under an interim court order, the petitioner was provisionally permitted to attend subsequent terms, eventually clearing the Vth and VIth Semesters.

Having completed all terms except the IVth, and having secured a placement at Amazon India, the petitioner sought a writ to compel the institution to issue his final degree without requiring him to clear the skipped IVth Term.

The respondent institution maintained that a degree cannot be conferred until all six semesters are successfully completed.

1. Whether a student can be considered qualified for the award of an MBA degree without appearing in and clearing one of the mandatory semesters (IVth Term) of the program.

The Court applied the principle of academic integrity and institutional autonomy in educational standards, grounding its reasoning on the requirement that a professional degree (MBA) is contingent upon the successful completion of the prescribed curriculum, specifically the completion of all six terms as mandated by the institute's academic regulations.

The Court further recognized the validity of the institution's "Deficit Credit Point" (D.C.P.) system as a criterion for academic promotion and qualification.

The Court examined the petitioner’s contention that his success in the Vth and VIth terms (facilitated by an interim order) should waive the requirement for the IVth term but rejected this logic, finding the respondent’s stand "plausible and convincing".

The Court reasoned that judicial intervention cannot override essential academic requirements; since the MBA is a two-year program consisting of six semesters, the completion of each segment is a prerequisite for the final certificate.

The Court noted that the respondent had offered a reasonable remedy by allowing the petitioner to undergo the IVth Term Semester between June and September 2026.

Consequently, the Court found no legal basis to deem the petitioner "qualified" while a core component of the course remained unfulfilled.

The Court dismissed the writ petition and refused to interfere with the institution's decision, effectively directing the petitioner to comply with the academic schedule proposed by I.I.M. Kashipur to obtain his qualification.