The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday directed the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Health Sciences (RGUHS) and Mahadevappa Rampure (MR) Medical College, Gulbarga, to give a compensation of Rs 30,000 for not providing a photocopy of answer scripts sought by a student.

Dr Vijay Sena Reddy, a final-year MBBS student who failed in the theory exams, had applied for a photocopy of answer scripts from MR Medical College in Gulbarga as well as the RGUHS in June 2013.

He also submitted an application under the Right To Information (RTI) Act in October, seeking information on the issue. The RGUHS, in its reply, stated that the photocopy of the answer scripts had already been sent to his college. But the college claimed it had not received any such details from the RGUHS. 

Dr Reddy filed a petition before the High Court, seeking directions to issue copies of the answer scripts. The advocate representing the RGUHS submitted to the court that six months after the exam results are announced, the answer scripts are usually destroyed.

However, counsel for the student, S H Prashanth, contended that the RTI application was filed in October much within the stipulated period of six months.

Justice Ananda Byrareddy, who disposed of the petition, directed the RGUHS not to repeat such mistakes. As the careers of students depend on exams and results, the RGUHS must be more responsible, the Court observed, and directed the RGUHS and the MR Medical College to pay Rs 15,000 each as compensation to the student.

Regularisation of services

The High Court has disposed of a petition seeking regularisation pourakarmikas employed on contract basis at urban local bodies across the State.

During the hearing on Wednesday, Additional Advocate General A G Shivanna submitted that the State government will take steps to regularise the services of contract employees, in the next six months.

The petitioner had sought directions to end the practice of hiring employees at urban local bodies on contract basis. A division bench comprising Justices K L Manjunath and Ravi Malimath disposed of the petition following the submission of the government.