UGC Final Year Exam: Supreme Court adjourns hearing till August 10; seeks MHA's stand

Supreme Court on Friday adjourned  hearing of pleas challenging University Grants Commission's (UGC) July 6 circular and seeking cancellation of final term examination in wake of COVID-19 pandemic till August 10. top court has also asked for Ministry of Home Affairs' stand on issue. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for UGC said that body will file its reply by August 3.

UGC defends its circular

On Thursday, UGC justified in Supreme Court its decision directing all universities and institutions to hold final year/semester examinations in September saying it was done to protect academic future of students across country.

University Grants Commission (UGC) filed a 50-p affidavit on a batch of petitions, including one filed by Shiv Sena's youth wing 'Yuva Sena', which have challenged its guidelines issued on July 6 for holding exams in September amidst persisting Coronavirus pandemic.

It said that in June this year, considering evolving situation of COVID-19 pandemic, it requested expert committee to revisit April 29 guidelines, by which it had asked Universities and Institutions to hold final year examinations in July 2020. 

Accordingly, expert committee (which also included vice-chancellors of technical universities and a representative of industry) did so and submitted a report recommending that terminal semester/final year examinations should be conducted by universities/ institutions by end of September 2020 in offline (pen & paper)/ online/ blended (online + offline) mode, UGC said. 

It added that this report of expert committee was deliberated and approved by UGC in its emergent meeting held on July 6, since conduct of final year/terminal examination is a time-sensitive issue.

READ | UGC guidelines 2020: Delhi HC allows student to withdraw plea amidst pending SC decision

Exams to be conducted by end of September 

Consequently, UGC immediately issued Revised Guidelines on Examination and Academic Calendar for Universities in view of COVID-19 Pandemic' on July 6, it said, adding that all universities/ institutions in country are obligated to conduct terminal semester/final year examination by end of September 2020.

READ | Supreme Court to hear plea against UGC circular mandating final term exams on July 27

UGC justified revised guidelines issued on July 6 and said that it adequately takes into account evolving situation of COVID-19 pandemic because it provides sufficient time till end of September 2020 to conduct final year/terminal semester examinations after following prescribed protocols and procedures relating to COVID-19.

READ | Delhi HC allows student to withdraw plea against UGC exam guidelines as case pending in SC

"It is humbly submitted that final year/terminal semester examinations are important because learning process is a dynamic interaction where only way to figure out what students kw is to seek evidence of ir kwledge and to evaluate it," affidavit said.

READ | BHU students oppose UGC guidelines on university exams, call for cancellation

(With PTI inputs)