The Delhi High Court has made important new rules for law colleges across India. Now, no law college can stop a student from writing semester exams or force them to repeat a year just because of low attendance. This big decision aims to help students and reduce their stress.
The court has ordered all law schools, universities, and the Bar Council of India (BCI) to follow these new rules. The main goal is to put student welfare first.
Why This Change Was Needed
This court case began after a sad event in 2016 . A 21-year-old student named Sushant Rohilla , who was studying at Amity Law School, Delhi, took his own life. His family said that the college did not allow him to write exams and made him repeat a year because he had low attendance. They also said teachers shamed him in front of other students.
The Supreme Court took notice of this matter in 2016 , after a friend of Sushant wrote a letter. The case then moved to the Delhi High Court in 2017 . Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma, who gave the final decision, said that no young life should be lost because of strict attendance rules. With these new directions, the court has now closed the matter.
New Rules for Students and Colleges
The High Court has made several clear changes to attendance policies:
- Exams and Promotions: Colleges must allow students to write their exams and move to the next year, even if their attendance is low.
- Mark Deduction Limit: For low attendance, colleges can only deduct up to 5% marks from the student's total score. If the college uses a Grade Point Average (CGPA) system, they can deduct a maximum of 0.33 from the CGPA. No more deductions are allowed.
- Weekly Updates: Colleges must send attendance records to students every week. This should be done through online portals or mobile apps.
- Monthly Parent Communication: If a student's attendance is low, colleges must inform their parents every month.
- Extra Classes: Colleges must arrange extra classes for students who have low attendance. These classes can be held in person or online, to help students make up for missed hours.
- Internships and Practical Work: Attendance rules should support learning. Marks can also be given for activities like internships, moot courts (mock court sessions), and other practical work.
Support for Students
The court also said that every law college must set up a grievance committee . This committee will handle student complaints. More than half of the members in this committee must be students themselves. The University Grants Commission (UGC) must change its rules to make these committees compulsory for all colleges.
In another important step, all law colleges will now need full-time counselors. These counselors will help students with their problems. Colleges must also make sure students can get help from psychiatrists if needed.
Bar Council of India's Role
The BCI , which governs legal education in India, has specific tasks to do:
- The BCI must talk to students, parents, teachers, and the UGC. Together, they need to review and change the current attendance rules.
- These new rules must match the goals of the National Education Policy 2020 .
- The minimum attendance requirement may be lowered to 40% . More importance will be given to internships.
- The BCI must create and publish a list of internship opportunities for students.
- The BCI must also ensure that students from poor families get equal chances for internships.
The court also said that using biometric attendance (fingerprint scans) and CCTV cameras in classrooms is not practical and could harm students.
What Happens Next
The Delhi High Court has given the BCI three months to carry out all these orders. The court will check the progress and review the situation in February 2026 .
Every year, more than 1.5 lakh students join law courses in India. Many of them face a lot of stress due to very strict attendance rules. This new court order aims to reduce the number of students who drop out of college and ease the pressure they feel. Government data shows that over 13,000 students die by suicide in India each year, highlighting the need for better student support.
