A Master of Philosophy (MPhil) scholar has taken Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam to court after being denied a gold medal, prompting legal action before the Sindh High Court.
On Tuesday, the Hyderabad Circuit Bench barred the university from awarding any gold medals to candidates of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences at its upcoming 13th annual convocation until the next hearing.
The petitioner, Tamseel Saleem Arain, told the court through her counsel, Muhammad Soulat Rizvi, that she was unfairly excluded from consideration for the gold medal on the grounds of an alleged delay in completing her degree.
She argued that MPhil scholars are allowed up to four years, or eight regular semesters, to complete the program and that she finished within the permitted timeframe.
Arain said her research work was disrupted after she was sent to prison on judicial remand in connection with a murder case registered on April 15, 2022, in Tando Allahyar district. She remained in custody until she was acquitted by the trial court on July 11, 2023. According to her petition, the case stemmed from a family dispute among elders.
Following her release, she appeared in the MPhil written examination. The results, announced on December 21, 2023, declared her successful. She maintained that she expected to receive the gold medal as she secured the highest marks in her department.
However, during a meeting of the university’s academic council on January 28, 2025, three candidates from her department were shortlisted for the medals, while her name was excluded. Arain stated that all three selected candidates had lower academic scores than her.
According to the petition, Arain obtained 425 marks, an 88.46 percent score, and a CGPA of 3.96. The shortlisted candidates reportedly secured 424 marks (88.29 percent), 415 marks (86.38 percent), and 381 marks (79.38 percent).
Arain claimed she was denied the medal solely because she did not complete the degree within two years.
She further told the court that she submitted a request to the chairman of the academic council seeking a review of the decision, but no action was taken. A personal hearing was later held on April 10, 2025, yet the outcome was not communicated to her.
Arain asked the court to direct the university to acknowledge her as the top-ranking scholar based on her marks, percentage, and CGPA. She also requested an order restraining the university from disqualifying her for the gold medal due to the delay caused by her judicial remand.
The Sindh High Court has issued notices to the respondents, including the Sindh government, the university’s vice chancellor, registrar, controller of examinations, the academic council, and the Higher Education Commission, and sought their replies.
Visit EduNation to find scholarships from around the world.