The coronavirus pandemic has created an unprecedented environment for final year students. At a time when they were supposed to prepare for interviews, join internships and plan future, students remain uncertain about their final year examinations. While many states are waiting for the Union Grants Commission(UGC) to find a midway solution, Delhi and Maharashtra governments have already announced to cancel the exams of final year students of state universities. This has led to a tumultuous situation between the said state governments and UGC.
According to a report of Press Trust of India, the UGC in the Supreme Court on Monday cautioned against the decisions of Delhi and Maharashtra state governments, saying they went against the rules. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed a bench of judges headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan that states do not have the authority to change the rules of the University Grant Commission. He also added that only the commission is facilitated to set rules and regulations for awarding degrees.
The apex court was hearing the pleas which have challenged the UGC’s July 6 order to all the universities and colleges to conduct final year examination by September 30.
During the hearing, Mehta argued that not conducting exams would not be in the favour of final year students and students may face an uncertain future if the regulator refuses to accept the degree provided without proper evaluation.
“If states decide not to hold examinations and promote students, and if UGC refuses to recognise the degress awarded without examination, it is the students who will face hardship,” Mehta said in his plea.
Meanwhile, the petitioners against the UGC’s directives to hold exams by September 30 have argued that the states can to cancel the final year exams under the power conferred on them by the Disaster Management Act.
Hearing the pleas, the bench of judges headed told UGC: “You apply your mind to the play of DM Act on holding of examinations and we will hear the matter on Friday.”
