Kochi: The Kerala High Court ordered that the year out system introduced by APJ Abdul Kalam Kerala Technological University is necessary to maintain high standards in technical education and dismissed a petition filed by students challenging it. It also disposed another petition seeking a direction to quash the V-C's circular to reduce the number of credits needed to register for courses in higher semesters.
“Minimum credit maintained by a student is required to improve the standard of education. I do not think that this court would be justified in interfere with the same,” the court observed. The KTU had initially stipulated that students who could not secure 35 out of 47 credits in the first two semesters were not eligible to study further. This was later watered down to 26 credits due to the intervention by the education minister. Now, those who fail to secure 35 credits will get a supplementary chance and if they fail in that, they will lose one year.
Petitioners argued that there was no credit system earlier and if suddenly such a method is adopted the petitioners would be put to face serious hardship. However, the court stated that the ordinance mandating a minimum credit for odd number semester was issued on June 26, 2015. "It cannot be stated that nobody was aware of the same," the court said. On V-C's circular dated July 30, 2016, the court said, the relaxation has been been given for the present academic year alone. “It is made clear that the university shall comply with the terms of the ordinance and shall not endeavour to reduce the rigour of the standards prescribed," the order stated.
