Supreme Court to continue hearing today on UGC exam guidelines.
The Supreme Court today is continuing hearing in the matter related to the pleas challenging University Grants Commission's (UGC) revised guidelines of conducting final year university exams across the country. During Thursday's hearing, UGC remained adamant on its decision of not cancelling the final year exams, asking all universities of conducting final year exams by September end, saying July 6, 2020 revised guidelines offer sufficient flexibility and are intended to protect the academic future of students.
UGC exam guidelines: Supreme Court hearing | LIVE Updates
- Justice Ashok Bhushan-led bench of the Supreme Court hearing a batch of pleas challenging the UGC Guidelines mandating completion of final year exams by universities before September 30.
- Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi submits for final year law student Yash Dubey. He said there are 16 lakh cases of COVID19 now. The response by UGC has been filed without any application of mind. Singhvi added that look at the earlier guidelines and look at the ones issued on July 6.
- Singhvi continued his argument saying, "the first guideline was 3 months ago by UGC on April 22.
- Supreme Court 3-judge judge bench takes time to assimilate all the rejoinders filed in the case.
- SC passes over the case as rejoinders filed by petitioners are not in order.
- Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava submits that 31 petitioners in the case are students.
- Singhvi submits that UGC guidelines were reversed in July.
- Justice Bhushan says UGC can always revisit guidelines
- Singhvi terms 'revisiting guidelines' was arbitrary.
- Singhvi added some of the universities lack basic IT infrastructure to conduct these online exams. It is not feasible to adopt the online mode of exam uniformly.
- SC says guidelines provide both online and offline.
- Singhvi says now this is striking... the new guidelines was to make it more difficult for students amid COVID19.
- Singhvi continues his argument saying, "this optional exam is problematic. If someone cannot appear in the exam and given a later option it will create chaos!"
- Supreme Court says but it is for the benefit of the students. "Are decisions by the state disaster management committee on the record?"
- Singhvi replies, "I will place them on record."
- Singhvi adds, "Many universities have been converted into COVID-19 centers. This is there in Maharashtra and West Bengal. Bar Council too has cancelled the exams. The July 6 guidelines ignore the MHA guidelines too.
- Singhvi further mentions, "heavens will not fall if exams are cancelled.
- Supreme Court says the MHA guidelines were of July 20. How can July 6 guidelines take them into account? The purpose of that guideline by MHA did not relate to exams.
- Singhvi mentions, "Section 62 of NDMA states that state government can take decisions in this regard and section 72 gives an overriding effect to this.
- Supreme Court asks, "Who appears for the State of Maharashtra?
- The crucial hearing comes after the top court issued notice to and sought to know if health concerns raised by students apprehensive of appearing in the exams amid COVID19 is misplaced.
- The lead petition in the case was filed by Advocate Anubha Shrivastava Sahai. She is the President of India wide parents association and child rights activist. Sahai would be argued by Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava.
- Senior Advocate Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi will also represent final year law student Yash Dubey.
- Senior Advocate Shyam Divan will appear for Yuvasena chief Aditya Thackeray, Shiv Sena MLA from Worli in Maharashtra and son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
What students demand
- The petitioners demand cancellation of exams and award of degrees and marksheets on the basis of internal marks and past assessment.
- In a rebuttal to the UGC's reply, the lead petitioner in the case (31 students from all over India) have stated that UGC's reply ignores hassles of students and would make them face losses in employment options and admission.
What UGC told court on Thursday
- UGC filed a 50-page affidavit on a batch of petitions, including the one filed by Shiv Sena's youth wing 'Yuva Sena', which have challenged its guidelines issued on July 6 for holding the exams in September amidst the persisting coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
- UGC said it requested the expert committee to revisit the April 29 guidelines, by which it had asked the Universities and Institutions to hold final year examinations in July 2020.
- UGC said the expert committee recommended terminal semester/final year examinations should be conducted by universities/ institutions by the end of September, 2020 in offline (pen & paper)/ online/ blended (online + offline) mode.
- Based on the committee report, UGC said it immediately issued revised guidelines that all universities/ institutions are obligated to conduct terminal semester/final year exams by the end of September, 2020.
- UGC said it has issued such guidelines to 'protect the academic future of students across the country which will be irreparably damaged if their final year/terminal semester examinations are not held, while also keeping in mind their health and safety'.
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