Summary:
Students appearing for final-year exams in colleges and higher education institutions, left pending since March because of the coronavirus lockdown, must not think the exams will be postponed again because of the ongoing Supreme Court hearing, the UGC said Friday. "Students should continue to prepare for the examinations.
Students should not be under the impression that examinations will be stayed because of the Supreme Court hearing," the UGC (University Grants Commission), which is charged with coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of higher education, said in court.
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New Delhi: Students appearing for final-year exams in colleges and higher education institutions, left pending since March because of the coronavirus lockdown, must not think the exams will be postponed again because of the ongoing Supreme Court hearing, the UGC said Friday. "Students should continue to prepare for the examinations.
Students should not be under the impression that examinations will be stayed because of the Supreme Court hearing," the UGC (University Grants Commission), which is charged with coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of higher education, said in court.
Declining to pass any final order on a clutch of petitions challenging the UGC`s decision to hold final-year exams in September, the top court today adjourned its hearing till August 10.
Appearing for one of the petitioners, Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued today that the UGC`s guidelines to hold the exams, which include the option to hold them online, were arbitrary.
Mr Singhvi pointed out that some of the universities lacked basic IT infrastructure and it was therefore not feasible to uniformly conduct online examinations.
"Optional exam is problematic.
If someone cannot appear and is given a later option it will create chaos," he said, to which the court said: "But it is for the benefit of students".
Mr Singhvi argued "heavens will not fall if exams are cancelled" and referred to sections of the Disaster Management Act that allows state governments to take decisions in this regard.