Delhi High Court Orders DU to Display Monthly Attendance

New Delhi- The Delhi High Court has issued new directives to Delhi University (DU) regarding student attendance transparency. Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, heading the bench, mandated that the university must publicly display monthly attendance records for each student on notice boards, detailing both lectures and practical sessions attended.

The court ordered DU to implement a comprehensive notification system, requiring the university to send attendance updates through multiple channels including email, SMS, and WhatsApp. To facilitate this, the university has been given one month to update student contact information if necessary.

The ruling came in response to petitions from law faculty students who were denied exam admit cards due to attendance shortages. The court suggested that the law faculty's Dean work with the Bar Council of India to develop a system allowing students to appeal attendance issues within a specified timeframe.

Additionally, the court proposed that DU and the Bar Council explore the possibility of online classes with appropriate safeguards. While acknowledging the importance of physical attendance in professional courses, Justice Sharma noted that advancing technology and AI could enable effective remote learning solutions.

The court ultimately dismissed the students' petitions, emphasizing that Article 226 powers cannot be used to override academic discipline. The petitioners had cited various reasons for their attendance shortage, including late section allocation and internship commitments. DU maintained its position on the mandatory 70% attendance requirement as per Bar Council rules, noting that exam delays affect subsequent semesters. Any interim orders previously granted in related cases were deemed provisional and not based on merit.