Mumbai: The Bombay high court has rapped Hazarimal Somani College of Arts and Science at Girgaum Chowpatty for not complying with Mumbai University‘s circular and admitting a student in June 2022 without submitting his enrolment form.“Further, the college by granting admission to the petitioner has allowed him to complete four semesters. We, thus, find the college to be negligent and costs are required to be imposed on the respondent college,” said Justices Riyaz Chagla and Advait Sethna on Tuesday. They directed the college to pay Rs 25,000 to Mumbai University (MU). The judges also imposed Rs 15,000 costs on the petitioner-student finding him “negligent in not complying with the notices issued by the college” from June 2022 till Aug 5, 2025, calling upon students to submit their enrolment forms.The student moved HC after he was not given a semester V exam hall ticket. His advocate Rahul Kadam said he missed the cut-off dates for submission due to “oversight, personal emergency and confusion about the deadline”. The student urged that at this belated stage he should not be prevented from further continuing the courseMU’s advocate Rui Rodrigues referred to the Jan 2022 circular issued to all college principals laying procedure for 2022-23 academic year admissions and which set timelines for submitting enrolment forms. Rodrigues said in breach of the circular, the college allowed the admission. He urged imposition of costs as directed by HC in similar cases.The college’s advocate Vasim Siddiqui said the notices mentioned that it would not be responsible for any further consequences and students will be liable to penalty/fine, if any, prescribed by MU. In spite of the notices, the petitioner failed to submit the enrolment form.The judges said the petitioner “having been admitted to the college and completing four semesters therein should not be prevented from appearing for TYBA examinations (Semester V and VI) being conducted this month”. Allowing the petition and subject to “imposition of costs”, the bench directed MU to generate a Permanent Registration Number for the student and to keep the online portal open for him to submit his enrolment form. The college and MU shall also issue hall tickets for both semesters.
