Attendance shortage: Over 2,000 II PU students in Karnataka can't write exams

Bengaluru, Mar 9: More than 2,000 second-year PUC students across Karnataka will not be allowed to appear for the final examinations this year thanks to attendance shortage.

As per information available from the Department of Pre-University Education, this academic year, 2,050 students from various colleges across the state have attendance below 75 per cent.

“This information was collected from the principals of colleges and, as per that list, we have not even generated the admission tickets of such students who fall short of the required attendance,” said R H Ritti, Joint Director, Examinations.

The PUE Department took a decision not to generate the admission tickets of candidates who do not meet the attendance criterion from the March 2013 final exams.

“There were complaints against some principals for allowing students with shortage of attendance to appear for the exams by collecting a penalty. There is no such provision to collect penalty and allow them to write the exam. To avoid such malpractice by colleges, we are not generating the admission ticket itself,” stated another senior official of the examinations section.

Rule 21 of the Karnataka Education Act, 2006, deals with mandatory 75 per cent attendance to be eligible to appear for the final examinations at all levels. This rule applies even for first PUC, undergraduate and postgraduate courses. There is also a similar direction by the Supreme Court mandating minimum attendance.

According to the rule, if any student falls short of attendance, he/she will not be allowed to write the final or supplementary examinations. They need to enrol/get admission as fresh candidates, get 75 per cent attendance by attending classes regularly and then take up the final exams.