The Delhi High Court has held that a student who does not meet the requirement of at least 75% attendance cannot be permitted to contest in the College Students’ Union elections of Delhi University. The ruling was delivered by Justice Mini Pushkarna in a case brought by a third-year BA (Programme) student, Muskan, whose nomination was excluded from the final list of candidates for the Satyawati College Students’ Union elections for the 2025-26 term on the ground that her attendance fell short of the required minimum.
The Court examined the election notice issued by the college on September 11, which explicitly stated that nomination forms of candidates failing to fulfill the minimum 75% attendance criteria would be rejected, referring to the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee. The Court found that this condition was stated in categorical terms in the notice. Given that, the Court held that the college is within its authority to reject the nomination of any candidate whose attendance is below the 75% threshold.
However, the Court also directed the college’s Grievance Committee to grant a personal hearing to Muskan, so she may produce her proof of attendance. The Committee, to be formed of five Assistant Professors of the college, should hear her in person and recalculate her attendance in her presence, after considering all the attendance records. The petitioner must be informed of her calculated attendance during that hearing.
If the petitioner is found to meet the 75% attendance requirement after this re-examination, her nomination must be accepted and she should be allowed to contest the election. Conversely, if she fails to meet the requirement, the college must communicate that to her, and the nomination shall stand rejected.
Additionally, the Court permitted the petitioner, under “extraordinary circumstances,” to campaign until 9:00 PM on the day of the order, if her nomination is accepted following hearing and recalculation of attendance.
The case is titled Muskan v. Satyawati College & Ors.
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