Fatherless student fails to pay fee, Telangana HC senior counsels come to her rescue

Two senior counsels of the Telangana High Court came to the rescue of an engineering student who was not allowed to appear for the end-semester exams as she could not pay the tuition fees.

The third-year student of MVSR Engineering College at Nadergul knocked the doors of the HC seeking direction to the college and the Osmania University officials to permit her to attend the exams. She paid fees till fifth semester. With the demise of her father on May 12 last year, the student’s family slipped into financial difficulties and hence could not pay the next semester fees. She represented to the college to grant her relief from fee payment considering her plight.

However, on June 22, her name was deleted from college examination registration portal. This restrained the student from submitting the exam form and remittance of fee. She was not allowed to appear for the first exam held on Wednesday. The student immediately filed an interlocutory application. Appearing in person before the bench of Justice Juvvadi Sridevi on Wednesday, the student explained that the total outstanding fee was ₹ 60,000 and she was ready to pay ₹ 20,000.

She requested the court to permit her to appear for the exam considering her family’s situation. At this stage, two senior counsels L. Ravi Chander and S. Sriram came forward to pay the remaining sum of the outstanding fee by the end of the day. Considering the student’s financial hardship, her educational interests and the assurance of the senior counsels to pay the fee, the bench said it warranted an interim arrangement to ensure the student’s academic career was not jeopardised.

The judge instructed the college and university officials to forthwith restore the student’s name on the examination registration portal, permit her for submission of exam form along with the fee and allow her to appear for the ensuing end-semester exam.