Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court directed the National Institute of Design (NID) to issue marksheets and related documents to a student who completed a master’s course in New Media Design after being granted admission in 2021 under court orders.The case dates back to 2021, when two students, Anjal Thottan and Suyash Tiwari, were not admitted in the general category. With four seats remaining vacant across reserved quotas — two in EWS and one each in SC and ST— they approached the high court seeking conversion of the unfilled reserved seats to accommodate them. The court had then ordered NID to grant both students provisional admission, subject to the final outcome of the litigation, and a division bench later allowed the arrangement to continue. Five years later, Thottan completed the five-year programme, while Tiwari is currently in the third year of his course. Thottan moved the high court again, stating that NID was not providing his marksheets despite his successful completion of the programme, and sought directions for issuance of marksheets, the graduation certificate, and other documents given to those who successfully complete the course. Thottan’s counsel argued that withholding marksheets defeats the purpose of clearing examinations from a premier institute and could harm the student’s professional prospects and career progression. The HC noted in its order that the advocates for NID, and the central govt authorities concerned, opposed the student’s demand, but “they could not justify the resistance in providing the mark sheet to the present applicant”. After the hearing, Justice Nirzar Desai directed NID to provide the student with the marksheets and other relevant documentswithin 15 days. It also said that supplying the marksheets to the student “is not going to create any prejudice in favour of anyone”.
