NEW DELHI: States and universities cannot promote students without conducting final year exams by September 30, the Supreme Court said on Friday.
The bench, headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, upheld UGC’s decision to conduct final year examinations and said that if any state thinks it cannot conduct exams within that date, they should contact UGC for new dates.
The Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Shiv Sena, was one of the petitioners in the Supreme Court, challenging the UGC’s direction to conduct tests in the midst of a coronavirus epidemic.
The UGC has previously stated that the July 6 guidelines are based on expert recommendations and after proper discussion, it is wrong to claim that final examinations cannot be conducted as per guidelines.
UGC has defended the decisions of some states, such as Maharashtra and Delhi, to cancel final year exams, saying that such decisions will directly affect higher education standards and override the legislative arena that sets and adjusts higher education standards separately. Reserved to Parliament under Schedule VII of the Constitution.
