SC upholds the UGC’s circular to hold University final year exams

Supreme Court on Friday upheld the University Grants Commission’s July 6 circular to hold University final year exams. The apex court said States must hold exams to promote students. It says states under Disaster management Act can postpone exams in view of pandemic & can consult UGC to fix dates.

The Supreme Court will pronounced its verdict on Friday on a bunch of petitions challenging the UGC directive to universities across the country to conduct final year exams by September 30.

A bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and M.R. Shah reserved the judgement on whether final year degree examinations in universities should be held before September 30, in accordance with the UGC guidelines.

The apex court had asked the University Grants Commission (UGC) that if there is a certain situation in a state, could it override the state government and take a position on the schedule of the exams.

On August 18, in a marathon hearing which lasted for close to four hours, the apex court had heard the arguments from a battery of senior advocates appearing for various stakeholders, including Arvind P. Datar (for Maharashtra government), Jaideep Gupta (for teachers from West Bengal), K.V. Viswanathan (Delhi government) and the Advocate General for Odisha and West Bengal, while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for the UGC.

The state governments have argued that they have the power to promote students without exams in the backdrop of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

This is a breaking news. More information awaited.