Punjab & Haryana High Court Directs Panjab University to Conduct Special Examination After Student Was Supplied Wrong Question Paper; Holds Academic Future Must Prevail Over Procedural Rigidity
Case Name: Ruksana v. Panjab University and Others
Date of Judgment: 15 January 2026
Citation: CWP-36599-2025
Bench: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Kuldeep Tiwari
Held: The Punjab and Haryana High Court held that a student cannot be made to suffer for an error committed by the examination authorities and that academic regulations cannot be applied rigidly to defeat substantive justice. The Court held that where a wrong question paper is supplied by the invigilator, resulting in loss of an academic year, the University is duty-bound to rectify its mistake by granting a special examination.
Summary: The writ petition was filed by a student of the LL.B. (Three-Year) Course of Panjab University seeking a direction to grant her a special opportunity to appear in the examination of Law of Crimes-II (Old). The petitioner had successfully cleared all papers except the said subject of the 4th semester. Upon re-appearing in the examination held on 05.05.2025, she was mistakenly handed over the question paper of “The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita-II (New)” instead of “Law of Crimes-II (Old)” by the invigilator.
Having no alternative, the petitioner attempted the paper supplied to her. When the result was declared on 06.10.2025, she was shown as “absent” for Law of Crimes-II (Old). By that time, the re-appear examination scheduled for September 2025 had already been notified and conducted on 01.09.2025, thereby depriving the petitioner of the opportunity to appear. Her representations seeking a special examination were rejected, and she was informed that the next chance would arise only in May 2026.
The University opposed the petition by relying on Regulation 4 of the Panjab University Calendar, which prescribes that even semester examinations are to be held only in the month of May. It was also contended that the petitioner herself attempted the wrong paper despite both question papers being available at the centre.
The High Court found that the petitioner’s predicament arose solely due to an irregularity committed at the examination centre. It held that once the University chose to conduct a combined examination for old and new courses, it was incumbent upon the invigilator to exercise due diligence while distributing question papers. The Court observed that no corrective mechanism was adopted by the University to address the error, and that the petitioner could not be penalised for a lapse attributable to the University.
The Court further held that Regulation 4 is meant to regulate the examination schedule and cannot be construed as a bar against rectification of a mistake committed by the University itself. Emphasising that the academic future of a student deserves precedence over administrative inconvenience, the Court granted relief.
Decision: The writ petition was allowed. The Panjab University was directed to conduct a special examination of Law of Crimes-II (Old) for the petitioner positively in the month of January 2026.