The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : Bench declines to postpone TNPCEE for tsunami-hit

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Friday, Apr 22, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Bench declines to postpone TNPCEE for tsunami-hit

Staff Reporter

`Government should decide on separate examination'

MADURAI: : The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Thursday declined to direct Anna University to postpone the Tamil Nadu Professional Courses Entrance Examinations scheduled on April 23 and 24, for the benefit of students in the tsunami affected areas.

However, on an alternative plea for a direction to conduct separate examinations for the tsunami-affected, Justice D. Murugesan observed, "The plea is left to the Government to decide." Agreeing that tsunami victims should be rehabilitated through all means, the Judge said it would not be appropriate for the court to interfere in the scheduled examination since it would upset the entire process.

The order was passed on a writ petition moved by Lala G. Ananda Robin, a Plus Two student from Colachel in Kanyakumari district. According to him, though higher secondary examinations in the State were held during March 2-14, students in tsunami-hit districts were allowed to sit for the examinations during April 4-18 as a special case.

But the professional courses entrance examinations were not postponed leaving just four days for these students to prepare, compared to others who enjoyed a gap of more than 45 days. Pointing out that admission for professional courses was very competitive and involved thorough preparation, the petitioner said just four days would not be sufficient to sit for the examinations.

Arguing for the petitioner, his counsel, S.C. Herald Singh, contended that the university would be discriminating between regular students and the tsunami-affected by not providing them equal opportunity to prepare for examinations. Either the entire scheduled examinations should be stayed and fresh examinations conducted on a later date or the tsunami-affected students should be allowed to sit for separate examinations, he said.

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