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The Andhra Pradesh High Court has dismissed a writ petition filed by Dr. U. Anudeep, who sought permission to continue his Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) course after the university treated him as ineligible to proceed beyond the prescribed maximum period.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Lisa Gill and Justice Challa Gunaranjan held that the applicable regulations required the MDS course to be completed within six years from the date of admission. The Court also noted deficiencies in the petitioner’s attendance and academic progress.
Background
Dr. U. Anudeep had completed his BDS course for the 2012–2017 academic years and joined an MDS programme at the respondent college on May 23, 2018. The MDS course is ordinarily a three-year programme.
According to the record, he could not clear his first-year Basic Sciences examination initially and eventually passed it in December 2021. His attendance also declined substantially during the later academic years. The university stated that his attendance fell to 39% in 2020–21 and to 4% during 2022–23, with no attendance recorded from June 2023 to November 2024.
The petitioner argued that he had already submitted a demand draft on March 7, 2023, and that this should be treated as his request for continuation of the course. He also relied upon medical documents concerning his inability to continue his studies.
The Bench examined the petitioner’s claim regarding the 2023 demand draft and noted that it was not accompanied by a formal request letter. The Court further observed that the petitioner’s pleadings were inconsistent with his argument that the college had already forwarded a re-admission request in January 2024.
The Court said:
“Even if Demand Draft dated 07.03.2023 is considered as a request, which in effect is not possible, petitioner by no stretch of imagination can complete the course within a period of six years from the date of his admission.”
The Bench referred to Regulation 11(1) of the Dental Council of India’s Master of Dental Surgery Course Regulations, 2017. The provision states that although the MDS course is of three years, the maximum period for passing the course is six years from the date of admission.
The Court also noted that the petitioner’s eligibility concerning attendance was deficient and found no ground for exercising writ jurisdiction in his favour.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed the writ petition filed by Dr. U. Anudeep. The Court also directed that there would be no order as to costs, while any pending miscellaneous applications were disposed of accordingly.
Case Details
- Case Title: Dr. U. Anudeep v. Dr. N.T.R. University of Health Sciences and Others
- Case Number: Writ Petition No. 13043 of 2025
- Judges: Chief Justice Lisa Gill and Justice Challa Gunaranjan
- Decision Date: 9 July 2026
