Supreme Court called for response from Central and Maharashtra government
New Delhi:
Students taking final year exams at colleges and higher education institutions, which have been on hold since March due to the coronavirus lockdown, should not think that exams will be postponed again due to the Supreme Court hearing, the UGC said on Friday.
Refusing to pass a final order on a handful of petitions challenging the UGC’s decision to hold final year reviews in September, the Supreme Court today adjourned its hearing until August 10.
“Students should continue to prepare for exams. Students should not feel like exams will be suspended due to the Supreme Court hearing,” said University Grants Commission (UGC). coordination, determination and maintenance of higher education standards, told the court.
Among the petitions heard today was one from Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray via the youth wing of the Shiv Sena. The petition claimed that the UGC “ignored the physical and mental health … and the safety of the students” by insisting that the exams take place.
At today’s hearing, the court asked the government of Maharashtra to present its decisions regarding the conduct of reviews under the Disaster Management Act; the state canceled the final examinations of public establishments.
The court also asked the Interior Ministry to make a clear decision; earlier this month, the ministry said graduation exams could take place. The center said it would respond by Monday (August 3), but stressed that all students should continue to prepare for their exams.
The UGC issued a similar warning to all students, saying they shouldn’t think exams will be postponed or suspended because the case is before the Supreme Court.
On Thursday, the UGC said: “The decision to hold exams was not arbitrary … it was taken after expert recommendations. The call by some states to cancel and grant of diplomas will have an impact on the standards … is not allowed according to the guidelines of the UGC “.
A special chance will be given to students who failed to sit exams amid the pandemic, the UGC added.
As part of the standard operating procedure (SOP) for conducting exams during the coronavirus outbreak, educational institutions have been advised that they can choose to conduct exams online or through a combination of tests. paper and paper and online.
The government’s decision has been criticized by several opposition leaders, including former Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Mr. Thackeray, who criticized the UGC after its July 6 circular confirming that reviews will take place and calling the decision of “absolutely absurd and probably from another universe.”.
Earlier in July Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, whose government has also canceled leaving examinations for public colleges, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to “intervene personally” in this case.
Concerns about the conduct of final year exams, which could see thousands of students sitting together, come amid an exponential increase in COVID-19 cases in recent days.
More than 50,000 new cases have been reported per day for two consecutive days now, pushing the total number of cases in the country to exceed 16 lakh.
