Madras High Court Says Gold Medal Cannot be Claimed as Legal Right

The Madras High Court ruled that a student does not have a legal or statutory right to claim a gold medal through a writ petition under Article 226.

The case arose from a plea filed by a B.Com student seeking directions to Pondicherry University and her college to award her a gold medal.

The Court held that academic honours are part of an academic scheme and decisions on eligibility must be left to academic authorities. It upheld the university’s condition that all examinations must be cleared in the first attempt and refused to interfere.

However, considering the petitioner’s academic performance, the Court directed the college to issue an academic merit certificate.

[Vennila v. State]