Governor should reconsider stand over final year university exams in Maharashtra: Sanjay Raut

The insistence that exams be held is “wrong” as it puts the lives of students and their parents at risk, the Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha member said. (Representative image)

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari should reconsider his stand on holding the final year university exams in the state. Raut’s remarks came against the backdrop of 16 personnel at the Raj Bhavan in South Mumbai testing positive for the coronavirus infection.

“The entry of coronavirus in Raj Bhavan is natures indication to the governor that his stand that the exams should be held is wrong. He should reconsider his stand,” Raut told a TV channel. The insistence that exams be held is “wrong” as it puts the lives of students and their parents at risk, the Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha member said.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led state government earlier decided to cancel the final year university examinations in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

The governor, however, last month said the decision would jeopardise the future of students and asserted that the chancellor of universities a position which governor holds ex-officio has the final authority over all university matters, as per the Maharashtra Public Universities Act. He also said that not conducting the final year examinations amounts to breach of guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC).