The Telangana High Court will now examine the legal validity of denying examination eligibility to a postgraduate medical student who availed maternity leave during her course. The petitioner, a final-year MD Paediatrics student from Gandhi Medical College, has challenged the decision of Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) and her college to bar her from appearing in the upcoming final exams scheduled between October 7 and 15, 2025.
In her plea, the doctor argued that she had completed the required academic requirements but was declared ineligible solely because of availing maternity leave. She urged the Court to declare the University’s decision illegal, arbitrary, and violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India. She also sought directions to allow her to appear for the final MD Paediatrics examinations and for her results to be declared along with other students.
Relying on earlier High Court judgments in similar cases, the petitioner contended that maternity leave cannot be considered a ground to deny eligibility. She argued that such leave should be excluded while calculating attendance or academic breaks.
Taking note of her submissions, the bench of Justice K. Lakshman directed KNRUHS, Gandhi Medical College, and the National Medical Commission to obtain instructions on the matter. The case has been posted for further hearing next Tuesday.
