RUNMI ATHPARIA Vs. GAUHATI UNIVERSITY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard Mr. P. Mahanta, learned counsel for the petitioner. Also heard Mr. P. J. Phukan, learned Standing Counsel for the Gauhati University appearing for the respondents no. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and Mr. H. Rahman, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Ms. P. Agarwal, learned counsel for the respondent no. 6.

(2.) The grievance as raised by the petitioner in the present proceedings pertains to the non-holding of the required viva-voce examination in connection with the thesis as submitted by the petitioner for her Ph.D degree. The petitioner has also assailed in this connection, an assessment report of her thesis dtd. 22/2/2019, furnished by the respondent no. 6 and also the decision as arrived at by the constituted committee, requiring the petitioner to revised her thesis. The petitioner has also presented a challenge to a communication dtd. 15/2/2022, issued by the Academic Registrar, Gauhati University asking her to submit her replies on or, before 28/2/2022, citing the reason of her failure to carry out the revision work as sought by the committee constituted in the matter by the Vice Chancellor, Gauhati University.

(3.) As projected in the writ petition, the petitioner, who is a Master Degree holder in Physics, had enrolled herself for a Ph.D course at Gauhati University. The petitioner was assigned a research topic viz. "Lithospheric-Tropospheric-Ionospheric Interactive Processess: A study with special reference to major earthquakes of West Pacific Region." Pursuant to the recommendation dtd. 10/9/2015 of the Ph.D committee, the Gauhati University authorities vide a communication dtd. 7/10/2015, allotted to the petitioner her final registration for the Ph.D degree. It has been contended in the writ petition that the petitioner was granted extensions for submission of her thesis till 17/7/2018 and on 17/7/2018, the petitioner had submitted 3(three) copies of her thesis which was duly acknowledged by the Academic Registrar, Gauhati University i.e. the respondent no. 4 herein.