Thiruvananthapuram: An IISER-Thiruvananthapuram student has approached the High Court after being expelled from the institution towards the fag end of her course as she failed in a subject. The petitioner, C.S. Anithamol, who is from scheduled caste community, has also sought registration of a case under the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The BS-MS dual degree programme student had only one more semester to complete when she learnt that she had failed in the repeat exam for 'MAT412 Analysis on Manifold' course. The guidebook prescribes automatic expulsion of students who fail twice in the same subject.
This would mean she would have to start an undergraduate course from scratch. "Expelling those who are about to finish their course would affect their career prospects. It is a violation of their 'right to life.' We are demanding that the provision itself be declared unconstitutional. The provisions in the guidebook have no legal sanctity if they are not based on the National Institutes of Technology Act. The Act does not prescribe any condition by which a student needs to be expelled," says R. Sudha, advocate who is handling her case. Earlier, the High Court had decided favourably in the case of two other IISER students expelled in similar situations.
The guidebook allows director to override expulsion orders in special cases. This was invoked in other cases, but she was given no such exemption. The discrimination must have something to do with a student issue, for which she stood her ground, says the advocate. Another serious violation was the way in which the message of expulsion was delivered to Anithamol. Within 30 minutes of emailing her results, the letter of expulsion was handed over. "She was not given the time to explain her side. It is a violation of natural justice. Though she was told that she will be able to raise the issue in the senate meeting, it is learnt that it will be a while before the next senate meeting is held. Moreover, the results are sent by mail and the answer paper cannot be accessed. There is no transparency in the proceedings," says Sudha.
