Relief for 73 IIT Roorkee students

With the controversy over IIT Roorkee authority having  expelled 73 students for scoring less than the minimum qualifying marks  in their  examinations for two consecutive semesters raging on, the  High Court has stepped in, giving them a reprieve, as it   asked the authority to enable them  to  sit in the improvement examination (back paper).

The court has asked the institute's administration to file a counter affidavit before July 20. The next hearing of the case is slated for 20 July.  It may be mentioned that 73 students from the first year B Tech batch of IIT Roorkee, who had scored less than 5 CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) in their examinations, were expelled from the college on 9 July.

Prashant Garg, registrar, IIT Roorkee, said in mid-June, the students who had scored less than 5  had been sent notice of expulsion by the institute. They were given time to file what the institute termed a "mercy appeal". He added that the decision to expel them was taken after the mercy appeal was rejected by the apex academic body of the  institute.

Garg added at the time of admission, the parents of the students sign an agreement that states that poor performance could mean expulsion of the students.The rule mandating expulsion of students who scored less than 5 points on the 10 point scale of Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) for two consecutive semesters was framed in 2014  by the premier autonomous institute to ensure 'quality education'.

It is pertinent to mention that majority of these expelled students are from the weaker sections of the society. Around 21 of 72 students are from Meena community which is entitled to reservation in admission under the Scheduled Tribes category. A student union leader said the expulsion was unwarranted with the students despite being from unprivileged strata of society having passed the 10th and 12th.