Delhi HC Questions Mandatory 75% Attendance Rule For College Students

Almost every college student in India at some point during their higher education has felt pressured by the mandatory 75% attendance rule. Recently, the Delhi High Court observed the need to reconsider this requirement for undergraduate and postgraduate students, bringing hope to students.

A two-judge bench, comprising Justices Pratibha M Singh and Amit Sharma, heard a suo motu PIL filed after a law student's suicide, allegedly due to harassment over low attendance. The court noted that students' perception of attendance has changed and that mandatory requirements affect their mental health. It also called for a uniform framework to regulate UG and PG courses over attendance rules. 

It was also alleged in the PIL that the student was forced to repeat an entire year in the BA (LLB) course, leading to his death by suicide. The High Court also said that attendance needs to be positively encouraged instead of shortage being penalised by not allowing students to appear in exams. 

"Global practices followed by leading educational institutions around the world would also need to be analysed to see whether mandatory attendance requirements are even required. In the opinion of this Court, teachers and students need to be consulted in order to consider what should be the standards of attendance," the High Court order as accessed by Bar and Bench stated. 

It said that teachers and students need to be consulted to consider what should be the standards of attendance and "wider consultation would also be required to be undertaken to have a relook at the need to have mandatory attendance".

Notices were issued to the Centre, National Medical Commission, and other stakeholders, with the next hearing on September 9.

Currently, universities have varying attendance norms, such as the University of Mumbai requiring 75% overall attendance and the University of Delhi awarding marks for attendance.