Thu Sep 11 04:59:52 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Bombay High Court Slams Savitribai Phule Pune University’s “Shocking” Promotion Policy**
**Mumbai – September 11, 2025** – The Bombay High Court has expressed strong disapproval of a circular issued by Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) that allows students who have failed multiple semesters to be provisionally promoted to higher academic years. The court termed the policy “surprising” and “shocking,” questioning its logic and potential impact on academic standards.
The ruling came during the hearing of a writ petition filed by a first-year LL.B. student who challenged his denial of relief after failing his first-year exams. While denying relief to the petitioner, the Division Bench of Justices Ravindra V. Ghuge and Ashwin D. Bhobe took *suo motu* cognizance of the university’s circular.
The circular permits students who failed both semesters of their first year to be provisionally admitted to the first semester of their third year. Similar provisions are in place for students failing in subsequent years.
“It is beyond logic and reason as to why a student who has failed in the first year should be granted admission to the third year’s first semester,” the Bench stated in its order. The court voiced concerns that this policy, implemented by a university named after the renowned educationist Savitribai Phule, could negatively affect the academic excellence of its students.
The Bench highlighted the common “Allowed To Keep Terms” (ATKT) policy used by most universities, which allows provisional progression only if students clear their pending subjects. SPPU’s circular seemingly bypasses these standard requirements.
The court has directed the Vice-Chancellor of SPPU to submit a personal affidavit by September 18, 2025, explaining the rationale behind the circular, the academic authorities that approved it, and the number of students who have benefited from it. The court has scheduled the next hearing for September 22, 2025, and emphasized its concern regarding the broader academic implications of such a policy, seeking accountability from the university’s leadership. The petition remains pending.
First Piper 