The State of Karnataka Vs Adithya P.

ADITHYA P., S/O. PRAVEEN KUMAR J., AGED ABOUT 18 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.460, 16TH CROSS, 1ST STAGE, BEML LAYOUT, WEST OF CHORD ROAD, BASAVESHWARANAGAR, BENGALURU 560 079.

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…APPELLANTS

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TRISHA SHRISHA

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HC-KAR

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D/O. SHRISHA BATWARAHALLI SRIPATHY. AGED ABOUT 17 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.1699, 3RD FLOOR, 7TH MAIN, 'E' BLOCK, 2ND STAGE, RAJAJI NAGAR, BENGALURU 560 010. SINCE MINOR REPRESENTED BY HER FATHER NATURAL GUARDIAN SHRISHA BATWARAHALLI SRIPATHY

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SHASHANK V., S/O VASANTHA KUMAR M., AGED ABOUT 18 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.11, MAHADESHWARA NAGAR, HEROHALLI CROSS, MAGADI MAIN ROAD, BENGALURU 560 023.

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POOJA SINGH R., D/O B. RAJESH SINGH, AGED ABOUT 17 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.4, VENKATADRI NILAYA, 2^ND CROSS, SRS ROAD, PEENYA, BENGALURU 560 058. SINCE MINOR REPRESENTED BY HER MOTHER NATURAL GUARDIAN H. UMA

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BHAVANI N., D/O NEELAKANTA SWAMY, AGED ABOUT 17 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.14, SRI NANJUNDESHWARANILAYA, 11TH CROSS, GOKUL 2ND MAIN, LCR SCHOOL ROAD, YESHWANTHPUR, BENGALURU - 560 022,

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SINCE MINOR REPRESENTED BY HER FATHER NATURAL GUARDIAN NEELAKANTA SWAMY,

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HARSHIT MUGALI S/O ARUNMUGALI, AGED ABOUT 18 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.88/6, 1ST FLOOR, FLAT NO.002, DOLLARS SCHEMES, NANDINI LAYOUT, BENGALURU 560 096

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J. VIKRANTH, S/O C. JAGANATHAN, AGED ABOUT 18 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.87, 4TH A MAIN, CHANDRA LAYOUT, SUNKADAKATTE, BENGALURU - 560 091.

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P. KUSHAL S/O LD PRASAD, AGED ABOUT 17 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.4382, 2ND FLOOR, 14TH MAIN 'A' BLOCK, SUBRAMANYA NAGAR, SRIRAMPURAM, BENGALURU 560 021. SINCE MINOR REPRESENTED BY HIS FATHER NATURAL GUARDIAN LD PRASAD.

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JEEVAN B.S S/O. SHASHIDHARA B.S., AGED ABOUT 18 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.293, 6TH CROSS, BAGALGUNTE, NAGASANDRA, BENGALURU 560 073

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HC-KAR

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SUDARSHAN K., S/O. KARTHIK N., AGED ABOUT 18 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.18, PLATFORM ROAD, CORPORATION QUARTERS, SESHADRIPURAM, BENGALURU 560 020.

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G. S. AKSHAY KASHYAP S/O. GK SHIVASHANKAR, AGED ABOUT 17 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.110, 10TH MAIN, MEI COLONY, LAGGERE, PEENYA 3^RD PHASE, BENGALURU 560 058. SINCE MINOR REPRESENTED BY HIS FATHER NATURAL GUARDIAN G K SHIVASHANKAR

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MANISHA D D/O. DHANANJAYA N., AGED ABOUT 17 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO. 1915/12, 3RD CROSS, PRASHANTH NAGAR, BENGALURU 560 079. SINCE MINOR REPRESENTED BY HER FATHER NATURAL GUARDIAN DHANANJAYA N.

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THANUSHREE H., D/O. HANUMANTHARAJU, AGED ABOUT 17 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.P24, ADAKAMARANAHALLI, MAKALI, BENGALURU - 562 123. SINCE MINOR REPRESENTED BY HER FATHER NATURAL GUARDIAN HANUMANTHARAJU

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HC-KAR

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DARSHAN O., S/O OMKARESHWARA S., AGED ABOUT 17 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.11, T G. HALLI, ANCHEPALAYA, BENGALURU 560 073. SINCE MINOR REPRESENTED BY HER FATHER NATURAL GUARDIAN OMKARESHWARA S.,

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TAMIL SELVI ANBALAGAN D/O.ANBALAGAN, AGED ABOUT 18 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.3/123, KOLAGATHUR, K. NADUHALLI, DHARMAPURI 636 809.

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BALAJI YADAV S/O BABURAM YADAV, AGED ABOUT 18 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.20 AND 21, SAIBABA NAGAR, ANDRAHALLI MAIN ROAD, BENGALURU 560 091.

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TULSI VIJAY RAGHAVAN D/O VIJAY RAGHVAN, AGED ABOUT 18 YEARS, RESIDING AT 25, 1ST FLOOR, 13TH MAIN, 16TH CROSS, MALLESHWARAM, BENGALURU 560 005.

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THE DIRECTOR, KARNATAKA SCHOOL EXAMINATION AND ASSESSMENT BOARD 6TH CROSS, MALLESHWARAM, BENGALURU 560 003 REPRESENTED BY ITS DIRECTOR.

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HC-KAR

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THE PRINCIPAL, VIDYA MANDIR IND. PU COLLEGE 11TH CROSS, WEST PARK ROAD, MALLESHWARAM, BENGALURU 560 003.

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…RESPONDENTS

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THIS WRIT APPEAL IS FILED U/S 4 OF THE KARNATAKA HIGH COURT ACT PRAYING TO CALL FOR THE RECORDS IN THE WRIT PETITION, SET ASIDE THE FINAL IMPUGNED ORDER DATED 08/07/2025 PASSED BY THE LEARNED SINGLE JUDGE OF THE HONBLE HIGH COURT IN WP NO.13246/2025 AND ETC.

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THIS APPEAL, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING , THIS DAY, JUDGMENT WAS DELIVERED THEREIN AS UNDER:

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CORAM: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE and

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HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C.M. POONACHA

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ORAL JUDGMENT

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(PER: HON'BLE MR. VIBHU BAKHRU, CHIEF JUSTICE)

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For the reasons stated in the affidavit accompanying the application - I.A.1/2025, the same is allowed and the delay in filing the appeal is condoned.

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The appellant has filed an appeal impugning an order dated

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08.07.2025 passed by the learned Single Judge of this Court in Writ Petition No.13246/2025 [EDN-RES]. The petition was preferred by respondents Nos.1 to 17 inter alia praying that

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HC-KAR

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respondent No.18 - Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board [ the Board ] be directed to rectify the internal assessment marks of the petitioners in terms of the letter dated 09.04.2025 issued by respondent No.19 [ Principal of the College ].

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Writ Petitioners are the students of Vidya Mandir Ind. P.U. College and their grievance relates to incorrect internal assessment marks being uploaded by the Principal of the College. The internal assessment marks as uploaded carry a weightage of 20% in the overall assessment. There is no dispute that by an inadvertent error, the Principal of the college had uploaded erroneous marks in respect to the writ petitioners. The same has resulted in adversely affecting their final scores. The College has subsequently verified that the marks of the said students, secured in internal assessments, has been uploaded incorrectly. It is stated that the same was the result of inadvertent typographical errors. The appellants have set out a tabular statement setting out the actual internal marks awarded and the incorrect marks as uploaded in respect of the petitioners. The said tabular statement is set out below:

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SL. No.	Name	Econ	omics	Busin Studie	ess s	Acco ncy	unta	Stati	stics	Basi Math	c s
PTR		A	W	A	W	A	W	A	W	A	W
1	Adithya	20	10	20	10			20	10
2	Trisha Shrisha			20	10	20	10			20	10
3	Shashank V			18	08	20	10			20	10
4	Pooja SingR	20	10	20	10					19	09
5	Bhavani N	19	09	18	08			17	07
6	Harshit Mugali	20	10	20	10			20	10
7	J Vikranth	20	10	20	10			20	10
8	P Kushal			20	10	20	10			20	10
9	Jeevan BS	20	10	19	09			19	09
10	Sudarshan K	19	09	18	08			19	09
11	GS Akshay Kashyap	20	10	20	10			20	10
12	Manisha D	20	10	18	08			20	10
13	Thanushree H	20	10	20	10			19	09
14	Darshan O			18	08	20	10			19	09
15	Tamil Selvi Anbalagan	20	10	20	10			20	10
16	Balaji Yadav			20	10	20	10			20	10
17	Tulsi Vijay Raghavan	20	10	19	09			19	09
A- A the C	ctual Internal Ma ollege	rks	awarde	d by	W- reco	Wr rded	ong by th	Int e Col	ernal lege	M	arks

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The Principal of the College also sent a letter dated 09.04.2025 to the Board seeking correction of the marks as uploaded.

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However, the said corrections were not carried out.

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It is the appellants contention that in view of the Notification dated 20.01.2025 and Circulars dated 18.09.2024 and 12.12.2024

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issued by the Board, there is no possibility of changing the marks.

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HC-KAR

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It is contented that once a college uploads the marks on the portal of Student Assessment Tracking System, [SATS], the same cannot be corrected subsequently . The relevant extract of the Circular dated 18.09.2024 is set out below.

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"A menu has been launched to index the marks obtained by the students in the said exams on the SATS Portal. The marks obtained by the students are indexed on the SATS Portal and are also published on the college notice board, made known to the students, confirmed, and the principals personally verify and index the marks on the SATS Portal.

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As per the departmental guidelines, the blind and visually impaired students will be given Viva Voice for 20 marks and the marks obtained by them for 20 marks will be entered directly in the Project Assignment column on the SATS Portal.

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In future, there will be no possibility of changing the marks. In this regard, it has been clarified once again that the concerned principals will be responsible for any discrepancy in the examination results."

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Another Circular - Circular dated 12.12.2024 was issued reiterating that there was no possibility for correction of the marks in future. The learned Single Judge had considered the grievance

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of the students and rejected the Board's contention that the change of marks could not be accepted. The learned Single Judge held that the said circulars and notifications relied upon by the appellants would not apply to any typographical, clerical or arithmetical errors. The learned Single Judge relied on to the decision in Srikanth B.S. Vs. The Registrar and another [W.P. No.21496/2024 dated 16.01.2025], in support of the said view.

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We find no infirmity with the impugned order. Whilst it may not be permissible for the Board or the College to suo motu change marks, the same would not preclude for the Board from correcting typographical errors that have crept into the system for recording marks. In our view, the appellants stand that because of the erroneous marks sheet that had been uploaded, the students would necessarily have to suffer the consequences of the same is ex-facie unreasonable and would fall foul of Article 14 of the Constitution of India. There is no denying the necessity to ensure that marks uploaded are final. But this objective cannot be considered as overriding the objective of ensuring that correct marks are recorded in the final marks sheet. Accepting the said contention, that even clerical errors or typographical errors cannot

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