Exams mandatory for final semester students, SC upholds UGC guidelines

Supreme Court upheld the University Grants Commission's ( UGC ) July 6 circular to hold University final year exams. However, the Apex court has ordered the states to hold exams to promote final year students. The order was pronounced by a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and MR Shah.

The bench said that the state governments will not be allowed to promote students without holding final year university examinations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The bench also held that the decision taken by the state of Maharashtra to cancel exams amid the pandemic under the Disaster Management Act shall prevail.

UGC on 6 July had announced that colleges and universities will need to conduct final year and final semester exams by the end of September. And such exams can be conducted in offline (pen and paper), online, or blended (online + offline) mode. The apex education regulator had then said that its decision not to scrap the final semester and final year exams is based in academic prudence and the need for maintaining credibility.

Earlier, the court had reserved its judgment on August 18 and had said it will also decide whether the states will have power under the Disaster Management Act to defer the final examination till the situation normalizes.

Also read: E-learning launched as the new way to learn for High School Students

The UGC has filed an affidavit on Delhi and Maharashtra governments' stand of not conducting the final term University exams said that the UGC has taken the policy decision to conduct final year / terminal semester examinations in the interest of students across the country after duly considering the prevailing situation of a pandemic.

The UGC had earlier said that the July 6 guidelines are based on recommendations of experts and have been made after due deliberation and it is wrong to claim that it will not be possible to conduct the final examinations in terms of the guidelines.

Earlier, Delhi and Maharashtra governments had told the top court that they have canceled the examination in the states.

Readers like you make Inside Northeast’s work possible.

To support our brand of fearless and investigative journalism, support us HERE.

Download:

The Inside Northeast app HERE for News, Views, and Reviews from Northeast India.

Do keep following us for news on-the-go. We deliver the Northeast.