AMU to review detentions after law students protest over attendance shortage

Agra: Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on Tuesday said it is reviewing the detention of final-year law students barred from appearing in semester examinations over alleged attendance shortages, days after protests on campus.

According to university sources, 81 of 124 students in the final-year batch have been detained for insufficient attendance, effectively preventing them from taking their final semester exams. The move triggered protests, with students alleging lack of transparency in the attendance system.

Students claimed that “no official attendance records were shared during the academic session”, leaving them unaware of any shortfall. The issue escalated after the university declared odd semester results for the 2025–26 session on April 18—nearly four months after the exams—along with the list of detained students.

Several affected students said the decision could derail their academic plans. One student, who secured a top-100 rank in CLAT-PG 2026 and received admission to National Law School of India University, said the detention has put their future on hold. Another, shortlisted for a postgraduate programme at the University of Oxford, said the decision threatens international academic opportunities. “We are not against rules, but due process must be followed. There has been no clarity or official communication,” the student said.

Students also said the delay may prevent them from applying for the All India Bar Examination, as submission requires ninth-semester results before the April 30 deadline. They have demanded a review of the detention list and greater transparency in attendance records.

AMU proctor Mohammad Naved Khan said faculty members met with students on Monday and assured them that discrepancies, if any, would be examined. “They said they need some time to check for miscalculations. If any attendance—such as tutorials or internships—was missed, it will be added. A revised list will be published,” he said.

He added that students with zero attendance would not be eligible to appear for the exams.