<p>HRD Minister Kapil Sibal today requested St Stephens College Principal Walson Thampu to use his discretionary powers to ensure that junior cricketer Unmukt Chand, the captain of U-19 World Cup winning team, does not lose an academic year due to low attendance.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Sibal spoke to Thampu yesterday after India captain M S Dhoni and Sports Minister Ajay Maken rallied behind Chand.<br /><br />Talking to reporters, Sibal said, "I have requested Walson Thampu if he could use his discretionary powers to ensure that Unmukt could sit for his university exams.<br /><br />"He said he was bound by university rules and then I requested the Vice Chancellor if he could use his emergency powers. He agreed to it and said he would be positively inclined," the minister said. Asked if there should be a policy for such cases, Sibal said there should be a provision under university regulations where such emergency powers can be used in special cases in national interest.<br /><br />Delhi University rules mandate a student to have at least 33.3 per cent attendance in an academic session after all exemptions, but 19-year-old Unmukt, a first year BA student of St Stephen's College, could not attend required number of classes owing to his cricketing engagements.</p>
<p>HRD Minister Kapil Sibal today requested St Stephens College Principal Walson Thampu to use his discretionary powers to ensure that junior cricketer Unmukt Chand, the captain of U-19 World Cup winning team, does not lose an academic year due to low attendance.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Sibal spoke to Thampu yesterday after India captain M S Dhoni and Sports Minister Ajay Maken rallied behind Chand.<br /><br />Talking to reporters, Sibal said, "I have requested Walson Thampu if he could use his discretionary powers to ensure that Unmukt could sit for his university exams.<br /><br />"He said he was bound by university rules and then I requested the Vice Chancellor if he could use his emergency powers. He agreed to it and said he would be positively inclined," the minister said. Asked if there should be a policy for such cases, Sibal said there should be a provision under university regulations where such emergency powers can be used in special cases in national interest.<br /><br />Delhi University rules mandate a student to have at least 33.3 per cent attendance in an academic session after all exemptions, but 19-year-old Unmukt, a first year BA student of St Stephen's College, could not attend required number of classes owing to his cricketing engagements.</p>