The court said Debarring a student from appearing for examinations is a severe punitive measure with serious academic and career implications. The court observed that debarring a student from appearing for examinations is a severe punitive measure with serious academic and career implications. Justice Kiranmayee Mandava noted that the student was held guilty of malpractice without being provided the material on which the university reached such a conclusion. The August 3 order said that, “the disciplinary authority imposes the penalty of debarring a student from the examination, it must establish that the material allegedly seized is relevant to the examination concerned. Equally, the student must be afforded a fair and adequate opportunity of being heard, as such a severe penalty may entail the loss of one academic year and seriously prejudice the student’s academic future.”