Harsha Chandrakar Vs State of Chhattisgarh

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2025:CGHC:47709

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NAFR

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HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR

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WPC No. 2207 of 2024

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Harsha Chandrakar D/o Late Shri Subhash Chandrakar Aged About 26 Years R/o Ward No. 4, Bastipara, Kendri, Singarbhata, Raipur, District Raipur, Chhattisgarh

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... Petitioner

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versus

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1 – State of Chhattisgarh Through The Directorate, Department of Agriculture Indravati Bhawan, Atal Nagar, Nava Raipur, District Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

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2 – Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Through The Registrar, Krishak Nagar, Raipur, Purena, District Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

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... Respondents

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For Petitioner :	Mr. Gaurav Singhal, Advocate
For State :	Ms. Nupur Trivedi, PL
/Respondent No.1
For Respondent No.2:	Mr. DN Prajapati, Advocate

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(Hon’ble Shri Justice Arvind Kumar Verma)

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Order on Board

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17/09/2025

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Digitally signed by ASHUTOSH ASHUTOSH MISHRA MISHRA Date: 2025.09.24 10:37:35 +0530

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By way of the instant petition the petitioner is challenging the action of the respondents for not considering the name of the petitioner for awarding Gold Medal in different section of education.

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The petitioner has prayed for the following reliefs:-

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10.1 Call for the entire records of the case pertaining to the inaction on the part of the respondents for kind perusal of this Hon’ble Court.

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10.2 Issue writ(s)/order(s)/direction(s) in the nature of mandamus directing the respondent authorities to grant award Gold medal to the petitioner after duly considering her letter dated 20/12/2023 with the attached documents.

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10.3 Issue writ(s)/order(s)/direction(s) in the nature of mandamus directing the respondent authorities to consider the case of the petitioner in the light of un-amended notification for award of Gold Medal.

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10.4 Any other relief that this Hon’ble Court may deem fit in the facts and circumstances of the case may also be granted in favour of the petitioner against the respondents.

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10.5 Cost of the petition be also granted to the petitioner.

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Learned counsel for the petitioner would contend that petitioner was student of Swami Vivekananda Agricultural Engineering and Technology College and she has passed the graduation examination in the session 2020-21 in which she secured a Total OGPA of 8.37 under which she was a contender for the gold medal in the ninth convocation, but a day ago she was informed by the Respondents that she is not eligible for receiving of the gold medal. Furthermore, the present petitioner made several representation before the authority and also asking various committees, it was found that under the 2019-20 rule, the eligibility for receiving the medal for students passing in 2020-21 would be to score more than 8.5 OGPA. He would next contend that the said information which the petitioner received was provided to her one day before the convocation ceremony. He would next contend that the petitioner has joined the

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university in the academic year 2017-18, whereas the university made a new rule for receiving medals in 2019, at that time the petitioner was pursuing her studies at the said university during making of the new rule for receiving medals in year 2019. He would next contend that the petitioner has completed her 2 years of education/academic session in the university, wherein she has secured highest marks in the examination held for the academic Session of Year 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 respectively for which she was awarded the Gold Medal for Excellent performance in academic Session for year 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively. He would next contend that the certificate of completion was given by the Honorable Vice Chancellor on 20/01/2020 wherein the name of the petitioner has been mentioned and recorded as an eligible candidate for Gold Medalist for the session 2017-21 which is reflected through the bonafide certificate issued by the Dean of the College on 26/08/2022, however, subsequently, the name of petitioner was recorded in list number 2 of the final list of eligible candidates for University Medal issued through notification number ACD-1/2023/212 on 12-04-2023. He would next contend that the degree of Honor has been given as per the old rule on the vision degree certificate provided by the University. He would lastly contend that not giving the gold medal only to the students who have passed in 2020-21 is unfair in the interest of the students and is discriminatory which is clearly violation of the Fundamental Rights guaranteed to the petitioner under Article 14 of the Constitution of

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India, 1950.

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Per contra, learned counsel for the respondents oppose the submissions made by learned counsel for the petitioner and would submit that in view of the amended notification, the petitioner is not entitled for the Gold Medal.

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I have heard learned counsel for the parties at length and perused the documents with utmost circumspection.

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On perusal of record I have found that the concerned University i.e. the Respondent No.2 has amended the notification bearing No.u-dz- fo-i&119-03@’kS{k-&1@cS-’kk-@2019@68 jk;iqj fnukad 04@04@2019 and the relevant part of the same reads as under:-

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vf/klwpuk

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fo’ofo|ky; vf/klwpuk Endt. F.No.ACM (119.03)/ACD-I/2019/8313 dated 08-03-2019 esa mYysf[kr effective from 2^nd Semester 2019-20 esa vkaf’kd la’kks/ku djrs gq, effective from First Semester 2019-20 i<+k tkosA ‘ks”k vf/klwpuk ;Fkkor jgsaxhA

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Perusal of the said amendment makes it crystal clear that the amendment has been made on 04/04/2019 for the purpose of making it effective from First Semester 2019-20 and as per the amendment Clause 9 of the Academic Regulations for Bachelor Degree Programme reads as under:-

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9.0 University Medals: The student fulfilling following criteria shall be eligible for Medals.

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a. Medals at the end of degree Programme:

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The medal and certificate shall be awarded to only those candidates who score minimum OGPA of 8.5. Medals shall be awarded to the eligible candidates on the basis of overall results of degree programme of a particular batch. The topper shall be given Gold Medal, followed by Silver and Bronze Medal.

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b. xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx

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In this regard learned counsel for the petitioner fairly admitted that the petitioner has passed out her Bachelor degree of B.Tech in the year 2020-21, meaning thereby the above Rule 9 was in existence by virtue of notification and it is crystal clear from the bare perusal of the rules that the Gold Medal shall be given at the end of degree program and would be awarded to only those candidates who secured minimum OGPA of 8.5. Learned counsel for the petitioner admitted the fact that the petitioner has secured 8.37 OGPA below the prescribed OGPA 8.5 for the medal. However, it is also crystal clear that firstly the University has notified the name of the petitioner for Gold Medal on 24/11/2022 vide Annexure R-2/4 and on 12/04/2023 (Annexure P/5) the University further notified the name of the petitioner for Gold Medal, however, before the convocation rectified the list of the candidates to whom the Gold Medal is to be given who secured marks as per notification dated 04/04/2019 and since the petitioner could secure 8.37 OGPA, therefore, the name of the petitioner was eliminated.

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