The Supreme Court recently upheld the conviction of a Delhi Technological University (DTU) student who was found guilty of cheating on his second-semester examination. However, the Court deemed the punishment imposed on the student to be excessive and reduced it. The student, Yogesh Parihar, will be allowed to continue his studies in the third semester without having to repeat the second semester. Nevertheless, he will be considered to have failed the second semester exam and will be required to retake it.
The Supreme Court acknowledged the student’s guilt but found the punishment disproportionate to his offense. In their order issued on May 17, Justices BR Gavai and Sanjay Karol stated that while they did not interfere with the High Court’s conclusion of the student’s misconduct, they believed the punishment needed adjustment based on the circumstances. As a result, the punishment imposed by the High Court was reduced from Category IV to Category II.
The incident occurred when a WhatsApp group named “Ans” was discovered on another student’s mobile phone, with 22 students sharing answers to exam questions. Parihar was identified as a member of that group. The Unfair Means Scrutiny Committee of the DTU concluded that Parihar was aware of his membership in the group and dismissed his claim that his flatmate Vatan Tomar was using his phone.
Consequently, the DTU Vice-Chancellor (VC) imposed Category IV punishment on Parihar, which included the cancellation of his exams. This led to the cancellation of his third-semester registration, and he was required to re-register for the second semester.
In December 2022, Parihar’s petition challenging the DTU’s decision was denied by the Delhi High Court. The High Court justified its ruling by stating that students who engage in exam misconduct and escape the consequences cannot contribute positively to nation-building. It emphasized the need to deal firmly with such students, including Parihar, in order to impart a lesson.
