The Madras High Court has declined to interfere with the decision of Pondicherry University denying a gold medal to a student who topped her course but missed one examination due to illness. However, acknowledging her academic excellence, the court directed the college to issue her a special merit certificate recognizing her performance.
The ruling was delivered by Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy while disposing of a writ petition filed by H. Vennila, a former student of Bharathidasan Government College for Women, Puducherry.
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Background of the Case
H. Vennila pursued B.Com (Corporate Secretaryship) at Bharathidasan Government College for Women between 2015 and 2018. She secured 2014 marks out of 2600, the highest in her batch.
Despite being the top scorer, the gold medal was awarded to another student who had scored 109 marks less. The college rejected Vennila’s claim on the ground that she had been absent for one paper in the first semester, which she later cleared as an arrear.
Aggrieved by this decision, Vennila approached the High Court seeking to quash the college’s order and to direct the university to award her the gold medal.
Petitioner’s Argument
Appearing for the petitioner, counsel argued that the absence was due to dengue fever, a genuine medical reason. The paper was cleared in the very next attempt, and therefore, it should not be treated as a “second attempt.”
The petitioner relied on a Delhi High Court judgment where absence due to illness was held not to disqualify a student from receiving a gold medal. It was argued that the same principle should apply in this case as well.
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“The petitioner was the clear topper. Denying her the gold medal on a technicality defeats the purpose of academic excellence,” the counsel submitted.
Stand of the University
The Pondicherry University and the State government opposed the plea, stating that gold medals are awarded strictly as per university norms.
They pointed out a circular dated June 4, 2018, which clearly states that only students who pass all examinations in the first attempt are eligible for gold medals.
The government lawyer argued that the rule was applied uniformly to all students and no exception could be carved out based on individual circumstances.
Court’s Observations
Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy noted that a gold medal is not a statutory right but an academic honour governed by institutional rules.
“The meaning of the term ‘first attempt’ has to be understood in the academic context in which it is used,” the court observed.
The judge declined to follow the Delhi High Court ruling, stating that academic bodies are best suited to interpret their own regulations. He also pointed out that allowing exceptions could lead to inequality among students who may have chosen to write exams despite illness.
The court further noted that the gold medal had already been awarded to another student years ago, and disturbing that decision now would be unfair.
Relief Granted to the Petitioner
While refusing to direct the university to award the gold medal, the court took note of the petitioner’s exceptional academic record.
“The petitioner is undoubtedly a meritorious student who topped the course by a significant margin,” the court observed.
In a balanced approach, the court directed the college to issue a special academic certificate recognizing her as a topper and gold-medal-level performer, in the same format as given to the medal recipient.
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Final Decision
The writ petition was disposed of with directions to issue a merit certificate to the petitioner.
No costs were awarded.
Case Title: H. Vennila vs State of Puducherry & Others
Case Number: W.P. No. 31106 of 2022
Decision Date: 21 January 2026
