SC Hearing Of UGC University Final Year Exams Adjourned To August 10| Know What Has Happened So Far

The Supreme Court has adjourned to August 10 the hearing of the petition by 31 students challenging the University Grants Commission (UGC) decision to conduct final year University exams. Here's what has happened so far.

(File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: The Supreme court has adjourned to August 10, the hearing of the petition by 31 students challenging the University Grants Commission (UGC) decision to conduct final year exams. In their petition, the students have said that the latest UGC guidelines are arbitrary and put the lives of students at risk. The petitioners have sought cancellations of examinations and said that results for this year should be calculated on the basis of their internal assessment or past performance. The plea was filed after the UGC issued revised university final year exam guidelines which made it mandatory for varsities to conduct final year exams by the end of September using any mode for the exams – pen and paper, online or a combination of both as per the feasibility and suitability. It also said that examinations are mandatory for the students who have a backlog. In the hearing on Thursday, the UGC submitted a 50-page affidavit that said that it will not change the decision as it was based on the assessment by an expert panel. Here is what has happened so far in the hearing

• UGC says no intention to change the decision

On Thursday, the UGC submitted to the court that it has no intention of changing the decision. According to a report by PTI, a 50-page affidavit was filed responding to a different petition including the one filed by Shiv Sena's youth wing 'Yuva Sena'. It that an expert committee (which comprised vice-chancellors of technical universities and a representative of industry) was formed to access the situation and make a decision on the final year exams. This committee then submitted a report that recommended conducting the final year exams by the end of September 2020 in offline (pen & paper)/ online/ blended (online + offline) mode. Based on the recommendation the UGC issued the revised guidelines on July 6 which said that it is mandatory for all universities/ institutions in the country to conduct the final year exams by the end of September 2020. The UGC also added that decision was taken to ‘protect the academic future of students across the country which will be irreparably damaged if their final year/terminal semester examinations are not held, while also keeping in mind their health and safety.’

• States decision to cancel exam will affect standards of higher education

The UGC also added that decision to cancel the exams taken by states such as Delhi and Maharashtra will be considered as contradicting the guidelines. It will also affect the standards of higher education and will be an encroachment on the legislative field of coordinating and determining the standards of higher education that are exclusively reserved for Parliament under Schedule VII of the Constitution.

• Students will not be forced to appear for exams

The affidavit also said that no student will be forced to give the exams at the cost of their health as the guidelines allow the varsities to hold special exams for students who are unable to participate in exams that will be held by September 2020.

• Counter Affidavit to UGC

A report by IANS said that the rejoinder to the UGC reply, filed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava said that the UGC had failed to take into account the worsening Covid 19 situation in the country. 'The respondent UGC has failed to take into account that the Covid-19 has been found to be airborne and there is strong possibility of the final-year students getting infected while appearing in examinations." He also questioned the 'special exams' and said that one of the 31 petitioners to the apex court was Covid-19 patient and he feared losing job/admission opportunities. "As almost no real or virtual classes have been conducted during the last 4-5 months, it's extremely unfair and unjust on the part of the respondent No. 1 UGC to conduct examinations, even without conducting classes," said Srivastava. He also said that the UGC had also failed to take into account the fact that many states had already announced a complete lockdown "Many big cities have several containment zones. Free movement of students will be restricted and will cause a lot of harassment. Most importantly, there is non-availability of free air/rail/bus/other transport movement in many parts of the country," Srivastava said in the counter-affidavit.