Punjab-Haryana High Court
Neha Rani vs Punjabi University And Others on 15 October, 2025
CWP-30456-2025 (O&M) -1-
108 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT
CHANDIGARH
CWP-30456-2025 (O&M)
Date of Decision: 15.10.2025
NEHA RANI ... PETITIONER
VS.
PUNJABI UNIVERSITY, PATIALA AND OTHERS
... RESPONDENTS
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ASHWANI KUMAR MISHRA
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ROHIT KAPOOR
Present: Ms. Sukhmandeep Kaur, Advocate,
for the petitioner.
Mr. Parikshit Goyal, Advocate,
for respondents No. 1 and 2.
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ASHWANI KUMAR MISHRA, J. (ORAL)
The petitioner is aggrieved by the communication/notice dated 28.08.2025, whereby her admission to the postgraduate course at Punjabi University has been cancelled on the ground that she has failed to clear re- appear of her graduation course within a year.
It transpires that the petitioner was admitted to the first semester of the M.Sc (Botany) course at Punjabi University. At the time of admission to the postgraduate course, the petitioner had not cleared her undergraduate course. The petitioner had appeared in the supplementary/ re- appear examination. According to the University, such re-appear examination has to be cleared by the students within a year of availing admission to the postgraduate course, which, in essence, the petitioner has failed to accomplish. As such, her admission to the postgraduate course has been cancelled.
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CWP-30456-2025 (O&M) -2-
The University relies upon a notification dated 15.07.2024, which clearly provides as under:-
"Admission arrangements for re-appearing students from graduation courses to post-graduation entry point/part 1 courses:
A candidate who appeared under semester system for undergraduate courses should be allowed to take admission under semester system in M.A/M.Sc./M.Com./PGDCA/M.B.A/ M.C.A. if he/she has two re-appear in 1st semester to 6th semester. Provided he/she must have passed the subject in under-graduate course in which he seeks admission in post- graduate course. The admission will be allowed subject to the availability of the seats in the concerned course in the concerned college/institution. He/She should have cleard the compartment before the declaration of the first year result. After cleared the compartment/re-appear, he/she must having obtained 50% aggregate marks in concerned graduate course. If he/she could not submit the relevant papers/documents on the date of declaration of result then his/her admission will be automatically cancelled. The remaining conditions shall remain the same as provided in the ordinances."
In the instant case, the petitioner had not cleared her Chemistry paper in the undergraduate course and consequently appeared twice to clear the same. By the end of the first year of the postgraduation course, the petitioner consequently has not been able to clear her Chemistry paper in the undergraduate course. Once that be so, the petitioner can have no grievance if her admission is cancelled.
Learned counsel for the petitioner states that the petitioner had not submitted any undertaking and in its absence, it was not for the University to cancel the admission offered to her in the Chemistry course.
We cannot accept the submission advanced on behalf of the petitioner inasmuch as the passing of undergraduate course is a pre- condition for admission to the postgraduate course. It is in this context that the University has taken a decision to provisionally admit students in 2 of 3 ::: Downloaded on - 10-11-2025 06:25:35 ::: CWP-30456-2025 (O&M) -3- postgraduate course with the condition that such students must clear all the pending papers of the graduation course within a year.
This appears to be a reasonable requirement imposed upon the students by the University.
We cannot conceive of a situation where somebody passes the postgraduate course without having cleared the graduation course. The arguments advanced on behalf of the petitioner, therefore, do not appear to have any substance.
In such view of the matter, this petition fails and is dismissed. However, it shall be open for the petitioner to apply afresh for admission in the postgraduate course after she completes her graduation.
Pending applications, if any, also stand disposed of.
(ASHWANI KUMAR MISHRA) JUDGE (ROHIT KAPOOR) JUDGE 15.10.2025 smriti Whether speaking/reasoned : Yes/No Whether Reportable : Yes/No 3 of 3 ::: Downloaded on - 10-11-2025 06:25:35 :::