Supreme Court upholds UGC Guidelines, Final Year University Exams to be Held by Sept 30
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has said that final year university exams will be conducted as per the rules of University Grants Commission.
The apex court said states must hold exams by September 30 to promote students, and if any states feel they can’t conduct exams, they must approach the UGC with their concerns.
Last week, the state governments of Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal and Odisha had urged the top court to direct the UGC to defer the final year examinations.
A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan pronounced the judgement on the student plea against UGC. This means that all final year university exams will have to be conducted.
However, the apex court said that of any state government or union territory cannot conduct exams by the September 30 UGC deadline, then they can individually approach the UGC to postpone it.
“The directions of State Disaster Management Authority for cancelling exams in that particular states will prevail over the UGC directions.States cannot promote students without holding exams. If any State has taken a decision that it is not possible to hold exams, we grant them liberty to approach the UGC to seek an extension of the deadline,” the SC said.
Here are the major takeaways from the SC judgement:
UGC guidelines to hold exams by Sept 30 not quashed.
Decision of State Disaster Management Authority to postpone exams will prevail over UGC guidelines.
SDMA cannot direct to pass students based on previous performance
States/UTs cannot pass students without exams as directed by UGC
States/UTs given liberty to approach UGC to seek postponement of exams
Reportedly, one of the 31 petitioners, who has tested positive for coronavirus, had sought for directions to the UGC to adopt the CBSE model and conduct an examination at a later date for the students who are not satisfied with the marks awarded on the basis of the assessment.
The students, in their petition, said the examinations should be cancelled and results of such students should either be calculated on the basis of their internal assessment or past performance.
On August 18, the Supreme Court concluded the hearing and reserved its order.