UGC Final year Examination Hearing: If Educational Institutions Are Closed, Why Hold Exams? Abhishek Manu Singhvi in Supreme Court

As the hearing began on Friday, advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said educational institutions are still closed because of the pandemic. We are not against examinations. We are against examinations during a pandemic, Singhvi said.

New Delhi: The ongoing tug-of-war over the holding of the final year examination entered a new day on Friday with the Supreme Court hearing the ongoing case. The UGC had directed all universities to conduct final year examinations by September 30 through methods ranging from online, offline, or a combination of both. The UGC directive also accommodated those who won't be able to appear in the examinations before September 30 for natural calamities or health reasons. The colleges will hold separate examinations for them later.

As the hearing began on Friday, advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said educational institutions are still closed because of the pandemic. We are not against examinations. We are against examinations during a pandemic," Singhvi said.

Here are the latest updates

1. The UGC on Thursday told the Supreme Court that final examination is a crucial step in the academic career of a student and the state government cannot say that its July 6 directive, asking universities and colleges to conduct final year examinations by September 30 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, was not binding.

2. The University Grants Commission (UGC) said the July 6 guidelines are based on the 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.

3. That apart, the state govt (Maharashtra) avers that the next academic session must begin in the interest of students, while, at the same time, contending that the final examinations should be cancelled and degrees can be awarded without such examinations even though such a step would irreparably damage the future of students. Such contentions by the state govt are clearly, therefore meritless, the UGC said in its reply to the affidavit filed by Maharashtra earlier.

4. On August 10, the UGC had questioned the decisions of Delhi and Maharashtra governments to cancel final year exams of state universities amid the COVID-19 pandemic, saying they were against the rules.

5. In its reply to Maharashtra's affidavit, the UGC has said that it is entirely wrong to say that its revised guidelines of July 6 are not binding on the state government and its universities.

6. It said the guidelines provide sufficient flexibility to the universities or institutions for conducting the final year or terminal semester examinations and it had duly consulted the stakeholders before issuing it.

7. It claimed that Maharashtra's affidavit is contradictory to its own claim that the prevailing circumstances are allegedly such that universities/institutions cannot function even to hold final examinations. Needless to say, those alleged circumstances should then prevent even the commencement of the next academic session.

8. In its reply to the affidavit filed by Delhi government, the UGC has said that it has taken the policy decision to conduct final year or terminal semester examinations in the interest of students across the country after duly considering the prevailing situation of a pandemic.

9. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had on August 10 told the apex court that states cannot change the rules of the commission as only the UGC is empowered to prescribe rules for conferring degree.

10. Mehta had argued that not conducting exams will not be in the interest of students and degrees may not be recognized if the states would act unilaterally.