Degree without exam: HC says UGC be made party to PIL

Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed that University Grants Commission (UGC) be made a party to a PIL challenging Maharashtra government's decision to issue degrees without holding final year exams.

Owing to coronavirus and lockdown, government canceled final year examinations and decided to issue degrees on basis of students' performance in earlier semesters.

Dhananjay Kulkarni, a retired teacher and former university senate member from Pune, has filed a public interest litigation against decision.

PIL challenged June 19, 2020 government resolution (GR). Under Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016, Chancellor has jurisdiction and state has power to take a decision about exams, Kulkarni said.

UGC, on April 27, directed all universities to conduct exams, but after a student organisation wrote to state Minister of Higher and Technical Education, exams in Maharashtra were postponed and later canceled, PIL said.

As per GR, re are 7,34,516 students enrolled in final years of n-professional courses and 2,83,937 students in final years of professional courses in Maharashtra.

students who have cleared all previous semesters and do t want to appear for last semester exam should give in writing that y do t want to appear for final exams, GR said.

Such students will be awarded final year scores based on aver of marks of previous semesters, it said.

Students can take optional exam later (if y wish to improve ir score), GR added.

Advocate Uday Warunjikar, petitioner's lawyer, argued that this dual assessment method had logic and it can t be adopted while granting degrees.

After hearing brief arguments, a division bench of Justices A A Sayed and M S Karnik said UGC should be made a respondent, and adjourned hearing on July 17.