Gujarat student’s attendance plea over junk food-linked illness reaches High Court, court seeks resolution

A Gujarat High Court hearing involving a fourth-year LLB student of Marwadi University took an unusual turn after the student attributed his prolonged absence from classes to health issues linked to his eating habits, leading to his disqualification from examinations for not meeting the mandatory 75% attendance requirement, reports TOI.

The student had approached the court seeking permission to appear for exams after being barred due to insufficient attendance. Representing himself, he submitted medical documents citing acidity as the reason for his poor attendance.

During the proceedings, the court noted that the medical certificate submitted by the student attributed his condition to the consumption of pizza and burgers over several months. Records also indicated multiple consultations with a doctor in the past three months.


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The university maintained that strict attendance rules had been applied correctly, justifying its decision to disallow the student from appearing in examinations.

The High Court suggested that the university explore a solution to ensure the student’s academic year is not jeopardised. Following this, the university proposed allowing him to appear for Mid-Term II and the final examinations.

However, the student had already missed Mid-Term I, which carries 15% weightage, and expressed reluctance to accept the proposal due to the loss of marks.

The court granted the student time until April 16 to decide whether he would accept the university’s proposal and appear for the remaining examinations.

The bench noted that if no response is filed by the next hearing date, it would be assumed that the student is not agreeable to the university’s terms.

The matter will now be heard further on April 16, with the university also directed to file its response on the merits of the case.