UGC Exams, SC Final Verdict Highlights: Exams Mandatory But States Can Approach UGC For Extension On Dates| Key Points From Today's Verdict

Supreme Court Final Verdict on UGC Exam Guidelines:The SC has announced the final verdict on the petitions challenging UGC's guidelines on final year university exams. According to the apex court, while exams are mandatory, states can approach UGC for an extension on the exam dates.

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UGC Guidelines Final Verdict: The Supreme Court has announced the final verdict on the petitions challenging the guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on the final year university exams today. The court in its ruling has said that while exams are mandatory, it is not compulsory to hold them before September 30. According to a report by Bar and Bench,  order was pronounced by a Bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subshash Reddy, and MR Shah. The SC has said in its final ruling

• It says that States/UTs cannot promote final year students without examination as ordered by UGC. However, States/Union Territories have been given liberty to approach the UGC to seek postponement of the exams in the light of Covid 19 pandemic situation.

ALSO READ| NEET Exams, JEE 2020 Postponement: Congress' Nationwide Protests Today Even As HRD Minister Says 'No Rethink On Exams' Students have been waiting for clarity and expected the SC to give a decision on the last hearing held on August 18, 2020. But the court had reserved its verdict and given all the parties three days-time to present their final arguments. On July 6, the UGC had issued guidelines that stated it was mandatory for Universities to conduct the final year exams using any– pen and paper, online, or a combination of both by September 30th, 2020. Soon after multiple petitions were filed against the decision which included a plea filed by 31 students from different states and by Maharashtra's Yuva Sena. The apex court began hearing the case from July 31. Apart from the final year university exams, students have been opposing several other exams such as NEET and JEE because of the rapidly rising Covid 19 cases in the country which poses a health risk.