Patna: The Patna high court has granted relief to 208 Intermediate students of Al Hafeez College in Arrah, directing the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) to accept their examination forms and permit them to appear in the supplementary annual Intermediate examination scheduled for April.
The order, delivered by a single bench of Justice Harish Kumar, came after a detailed hearing on a petition filed by the college challenging the board’s refusal to process the students’ applications. The court said the academic interests of students should take precedence over procedural or technical disputes surrounding enrolment.
Counsel for the petitioner, advocate Arun Kumar, argued that the board had rejected the students’ forms on technical grounds that did not affect their educational eligibility. He maintained that Intermediate education functions at the school level and that the term “college” in the institution’s name should not undermine the legitimacy of the students’ admissions. He further told the court that the campus has adequate infrastructure and that no statutory provisions had been violated during the admission process.
The state opposed the plea. Advocate general P. K. Shahi submitted that the institution had allegedly admitted students despite restrictions imposed by the examination board. He contended that Intermediate courses in Bihar are intended to be conducted in schools rather than colleges, making the admissions questionable. Counsel for the board added that the annual examinations had already begun on February 2 and that delayed applications could not ordinarily be considered.
After weighing both sides, the court ruled that denying the students a chance to sit the examination would unfairly jeopardise their academic year. It directed the board to accept their forms and include them in the forthcoming supplementary examination, disposing of the petition with immediate effect.
