UGC Guidelines 2020: The Supreme Court is likely to announce its final verdict on the petitions challenging the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines issued on July 6 exams before September 30 soon. In the last hearing held on August 18, the Supreme Court has reserved its judgment and had asked all the parties to file written submissions, if any, within a period of 3 days. This is now complete and it is expected that the court will now give its verdict.
The case which has been going on since last month combines multiple pleas filed by different groups this includes petition by 31 students and Maharashtra’s Yuva Sena. Students are seeking cancellation of the exams due to rise of Covid 19 cases or rescheduling it at a more suitable time.
In their argument, the UGC has maintained that the decision on the final year exams was taken only after recommendations by an expert panel. The academic body has also maintained that it has no intention to change the plan. Due to the rapidly increasing cases, states like Delhi and Maharashtra had announced the cancellation of the exam. Maharashtra government had informed the Supreme Court on August 7 about the State Disaster Management Authority’s decision to not conduct the final exams in the state. However, the academic body had questioned the decision of Maharashtra and Delhi to cancel the final year exams and said the decision by both the states is contradictory especially when the process of admissions for the new academic session is impending. In the hearing on August 10th, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had also said that it’s not in the interest of students to not hold exams. He argued that UGC is the only body that can prescribe rules for conferring a degree, and state governments cannot change the rules. It was also argued that not conducting exams will be against students’ future as a uniform admission process will get adversely affected without final year exams. But in the arguments supporting the cancellation of the exams Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi who is the Lead Counsel in the case also questioned why exams were being held even though teaching schedule this year was completely disrupted due to Covid 19.
‘Exams have to be held after teaching … teaching has been disrupted and exams will be held now?’ said Singhvi in the report. Questions were raised about the impact of UGC’s decision on the health of the students. the problems of transportation and the feasibility of the exams since many students have gone back to their homes due to the pandemic were also raised.
‘There is a great disparity between the classes of students who are expected to appear. Many students have gone back to their hometown,” said Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi who is the Lead Counsel in the case.
The UGC had earlier submitted to the Supreme Court that till a verdict is reached, awaited, final year students should continue studying for the exams. Recently, Amit Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Education confirmed that there will no further delay in conducting NEET and JEE exams after the court dismissed a plea seeking postponement of exams. This also shows that students should be prepared for every situation.
