Court Rules in Favor of Student After Repeated Questions in Exam, Ensures Fairness in Assessment
In a significant judgment, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences to award one grace mark to Duvvuru Nithya Reddy, a final year MBBS student, after procedural lapses in her examination paper deprived her of fair assessment. The ruling, delivered by Justice Kiranmayee Mandava, addresses the issue of repeated questions in regular academic examinations, ensuring fairness to candidates affected by such errors.
The petitioner, Ms. Reddy, appeared for the Final MBBS Part-II Ophthalmology Examination on April 2, 2026, where a technical error led to the repetition of a question. The same question appeared both as question No. 5 and question No. 7. Ms. Reddy, having answered question No. 5 incorrectly, repeated the same answer for question No. 7, which placed her at a disadvantage.
The University had previously issued a notification inviting objections to the preliminary key, but Ms. Reddy did not raise any objections at that time. Instead, she approached the High Court for relief, seeking the addition of a grace mark which would enable her to pass the examination.
Justice Mandava highlighted the difference between competitive exams and regular academic assessments, stating that in regular exams, the focus is on whether candidates meet the prescribed qualifying standards, rather than inter se merit or ranking. Therefore, awarding compensatory marks to Ms. Reddy was deemed necessary to neutralize the prejudice caused by the repetition of questions.
The court noted that excluding the repeated question from consideration would result in Ms. Reddy's marks falling short of the passing percentage by a mere 0.61%. Given this marginal shortfall and the procedural lapses involved, a liberal approach was warranted. The court directed the University to add one mark to Ms. Reddy's score and declare her as "PASSED" in the Ophthalmology subject, further instructing the University to allow her to commence the Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship (CRRI).
This judgment underscores the importance of fairness in academic evaluations and sets a precedent for handling similar procedural errors in examinations.
Bottom line:-
Grace marks in regular academic examinations can be awarded to ensure fairness when procedural lapses, such as repetition of questions, disadvantage certain candidates.
Statutory provision(s): None specified in the judgment.
Duvvuru Nithya Reddy v. State of Andhra Pradesh, (Andhra Pradesh) : Law Finder Doc id # 2940741
