Indian Railways to pay Rs 9.10L to student who missed entrance exam due to train delay

In a landmark judgment reinforcing passenger rights, Indian Railways has been directed to pay Rs 9.10 lakh as compensation to a student from Uttar Pradesh who missed a crucial entrance examination due to a train delay of over two hours.

The order was passed by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Basti, concluding a prolonged seven-year legal battle fought by the student against the Railways.

Late For Over Two Hours

The case dates back to 2018, when the student, identified as Samriddhi, was travelling to Lucknow to appear for a BSc Biotechnology entrance examination at Jai Narayan PG College. She had boarded an intercity superfast train, trusting the official schedule. However, the train was delayed by more than two hours, causing her to reach the examination centre late and ultimately miss the exam.

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Arguing that the delay resulted in a serious academic setback, mental trauma, and loss of a valuable career opportunity, the student filed a complaint before the consumer commission. After examining the evidence and hearing both sides, the commission held Indian Railways guilty of deficiency in service.

Compensation Within 45 Days

In its order, the commission directed the Railways to pay Rs 9.10 lakh as compensation within 45 days. It further stated that failure to comply would attract an additional 12 per cent annual interest on the compensation amount.

The judgment is being seen as a significant precedent in holding public service providers accountable for lapses that cause irreversible personal and academic damage.