Students should continue preparing for final exams, UGC tells SC

The UGC on Friday made it clear before the Supreme Court that students should continue to prepare for final examinations, proposed to be held by September 30. It said that pendency of a challenge to its notification to varsities for holding examinations would not mean there was a stay on the decision.

A bench presided over by Justice Ashok Bhushan agreed to the contention made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, saying, "Yes, we have not passed any (stay) order."

During the hearing on a batch of petitions filed by Bengaluru resident Praneeth K and others, Mehta said, "Let nobody be under the impression that because the court is hearing, everything is stayed. Students should continue to prepare."

The court posted the matter for consideration on August 10. It directed the Maharashtra government to place on record the order passed by the State Disaster Management Committee.

Petitioners led by senior advocate A M Singhvi submitted that heavens would not fall if examinations were not held. He said there were over 16 lakh Covid-19 positive cases in the country.

He said the UGC has filed its reply to the petitions challenging the July 6 guidelines for holding examinations without any application of mind. Singhvi said that there were no facilities for conducting online examinations in several universities. Many students would not be able to appear in examinations due to local conditions or pandemic.

The decision to conduct online and offline examinations would also create confusion.

The court, however, said it seemed be in interest of students, who have been given option to appear in the examinations on a subsequent date as well.

The UGC, in its response, had maintained that its guidelines were issued in overall academic interest.

The UGC's guidelines "adequately account for the evolving situation of the Covid-19 pandemic because they provide sufficient time till September 30 to conduct final year examinations after following the protocols and procedures," it said.

It also claimed the guidelines provided enough flexibility to universities and institutions to conduct such examinations online, offline (pen and paper) or blended (online and offline) mode. Further, it provided for an examination through a special chance for students who, for whatsoever reasons, are unable to appear for the examinations by September 30.

It also submitted that the decision of some state governments including of Maharashtra and Delhi to cancel the final year examinations was contrary to its guidelines and would affect the standard of higher education. This would also cause encroachment upon the legislative field reserved for it.