Karnataka High Court allows Bangalore varsity to hold exams of B.Com course as per schedule from January 13

High Court allows Bangalore University to hold B.Com exams as scheduled despite clash with CA exams, rejecting rescheduling requests.

The High Court of Karnataka, in a special sitting held on Sunday (January 12, 2025) has given a go ahead for the Bangalore University (BU) to hold exams for the first, third and fifth semesters of B.Com course as per the schedule, from January 13, 2025.

A division bench comprising Justice Anu Sivaraman and Justice M. I. Arun passed the interim order while staying the January 10 interim order passed by a single judge, who had directed the BU to reschedule the dates of exams for B.Com courses that were overlapping the dates of foundation and intermediate courses held by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for the Chartered Accountants (CA) course pan India.

Though the Bench said it should have been proper for the BU to considered the representations given by student-petitioners, who had sought for change of dates for B.Com clashing with the dates of ICAI exams, said that the constitutional court has no power to reschedule the exams, which is the discretion of the varsity.

“Single judge’s order of rescheduling the exams for five students, who have filed petitions, was not proper interference” the Bench said while clarifying that the exams for B.Com course would go on as per the original schedule. Further hearing on the appeal filed by the BU has been adjourned till January 13, 2025.

Petitioners, S. Renu and four other students had filed petition before the single judge complaining that the BU did not consider their representation for change of dates of B.Com exams that were clashing with the exams of CA course.

The petitioner-students had enrolled for the CA course conducted by the ICAI while pursuing their Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) at a private college affiliated to the BU. The exams, being conducted by the ICAI for the foundation and the intermediate exams of CA course, to which the petitioners had enrolled, were scheduled between January 11 and 21.

The ICAI had issued exam time table way back in September 2024 and the BU had notified exam schedule on December 13 with the dates overlapping with the ICAI exams though varsity was fully aware of the pan India exam time table of the ICAI, it was contended on behalf of the petitioners, who had submitted representation to BU in December 18 for change of exams dates.