Delhi High Court
Delhi High Court (File Photo | Shekhar Yadav, EPS)

Amity student suicide: Delhi HC seeks Bar Council’s stance on attendance policy

The high court bench has directed BCI’s legal education committee to hold a virtual meeting and submit an affidavit within two weeks, outlining its position on attendance norms.
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NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the Bar Council of India’s (BCI) stance on mandatory attendance requirement for a five-year LLB programme. The court was reviewing whether the strict attendance policy contributes to students’ stress and mental health concerns.

A bench comprising justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma has directed the BCI’s Legal Education Committee to hold a virtual meeting and submit an affidavit within two weeks, outlining its position on attendance norms.

The directive came in response to a suo-motu case initiated after an Amity Law School student, Sushant Rohilla, allegedly committed suicide in 2016 as he was barred from taking exams due to low attendance.

The Supreme Court initially took up the case before transferring it to the Delhi High Court in 2017.

During the hearing, the BCI’s counsel submitted a document reviewing attendance requirements at international universities, along with the constitution of the committee.

The court asked the BCI to finalise its position on whether the attendance policy for the LLB course should be revised, considering both global standards and the concerns raised in Rohilla’s case.

The Centre informed the court that the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued a letter on September 19, directing all higher educational institutions to establish student grievance redressal committees under the UGC’s 2023 regulations.

“Let a proper affidavit be filed on behalf of the Department of Higher Education giving complete details of the list of the institutions to whom the letter dated September 19, 2024, has been issued by the Secretary, UGC. In the list, all the institutions whose responses have been received shall also be reflected,” said the court.

The court further asked Amity Law School’s counsel to clarify whether the institution was willing to offer ex-gratia compensation to Rohilla’s family. Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, acting as amicus curiae, highlighted other recent student suicides and was granted permission to expand the scope of the consultation.

(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)

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