Supreme Court to continue hearing today on UGC exam guidelines.
The Supreme Court will today continue hearing in the matter related to the pleas challenging University Grants Commission's (UGC) revised guidelines of conducting final year university exams across the country. During Thursday's hearing, UGC remained adamant on its decision of not cancelling the final year exams, asking all universities of conducting final year exams by September end, saying July 6, 2020 revised guidelines offer sufficient flexibility and are intended to protect the academic future of students.
UGC exam guidelines: Supreme Court hearing today | LIVE Updates
- Justice Ashok Bhushan led bench of the Supreme Court to shortly hear a batch of pleas challenging the UGC Guidelines mandating completion of final year exams by universities before Sept 30.
What UGC told court on Thursday
- UGC filed a 50-page affidavit on a batch of petitions, including the one filed by Shiv Sena's youth wing 'Yuva Sena', which have challenged its guidelines issued on July 6 for holding the exams in September amidst the persisting coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
- UGC said it requested the expert committee to revisit the April 29 guidelines, by which it had asked the Universities and Institutions to hold final year examinations in July 2020.
- UGC said the expert committee recommended terminal semester/final year examinations should be conducted by universities/ institutions by the end of September, 2020 in offline (pen & paper)/ online/ blended (online + offline) mode.
- Based on the committee report, UGC said it immediately issued revised guidelines that all universities/ institutions are obligated to conduct terminal semester/final year exams by the end of September, 2020.
- UGC said it has issued such guidelines to 'protect the academic future of students across the country which will be irreparably damaged if their final year/terminal semester examinations are not held, while also keeping in mind their health and safety'.