The Supreme Court has expressed serious reservations over a Delhi High Court judgment that held law students cannot be barred from appearing in examinations due to attendance shortages.
A bench of justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and Vijay Bishnoi agreed to examine the correctness of the judgment while issuing notice on a plea filed by Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS).
The bench declined to stay the high court verdict for now, but warned that if such a position were accepted, National Law University hostels would become 'just boarding and lodging facilities'.
The controversy traces back to a November 2025 judgment of the Delhi HC, which held that no student enrolled in a recognised law college or university could be detained from appearing in examinations or continuing academic progression solely because of inadequate attendance.
NMIMS contended that the Delhi High Court ruling had opened 'floodgates' of litigation by students seeking permission to write examinations despite failing to meet minimum attendance requirements.
The plea stressed that classroom teaching remains central to legal education, especially in integrated five-year law programmes.
