Karnataka HC comes to aid of medical students awaiting degree certificates

Coming to the aid of medical students affected by the delay in getting degree certificates in view of convocations not being held owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the High Court of Karnataka has directed the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) to instantly give a provisional degree certificates to an MBBS pupil with a selected observe that it’s “on a par with the award of degree concerned, for all practical purposes”.

The court docket additionally expressed hope that the RGUHS authorities, when so requested by students/alumni, would handle acceptable communication to different universities/schools/employers for alleviating the problem or doubt, pending the award of levels within the ensuing convocation ceremonies. It noticed that such sleek acts, if carried out well timed, would add to the stature and grandeur of the college.

Justice Krishna S. Dixit handed the order whereas permitting a petition filed by Lanson Brijesh Colaco of Mangaluru, who had complained concerning the delay in award of MBBS degree by RGUHS.

“Some viable alternative has to be devised by the universities in their accumulated experience and wisdom for mitigating the likely hardship/difficulty their students/alumni are put to, in circumstances like the present COVID-19 pandemic that result in delays in holding the ceremonial convocation,” the court docket noticed.

Though it was contended on behalf of RGUHS that the college’s statute doesn’t authorise award of degree sans holding convocation, the court docket stated that “students cannot be asked to wait in militant silence for an indefinite period of time” as that will have many repercussions, corresponding to a time bar on admission to any course, non-compliance with situations of recruitment, and age bar for employment, and so on.

During the listening to, the counsel for the college advised the court docket that RGUHS can take into account together with a observe or appending an annexure to the provisional degree certificates indicating that it has to be handled on a par with award of degree.

“This fair stand of the university will ease the difficulty faced by students, like the petitioner, who at times have to indefinitely await the convocation ceremony,” the court docket noticed.

Cost of delay

While giving two weeks for the college to situation a provisional certificates to the petitioner with the precise observe that it was on a par with the award of degree, the court docket stated that the college would have to pay a price of ₹5,000 per week to the petitioner for a delay past the 2 weeks and recuperate such prices from the officers involved.