The Kerala and Mahatma Gandhi universities were asked by the Kerala High Court to refrain from scheduling or conducting the written and practical examinations in colleges in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts till February 8.
The order was issued by Justice V. Raja Vijayaraghavan on a petition filed by the secretary of the NSS College Central Committee, Kottayam.
The court issued the order as an interim measure after considering the fact that these districts were included in the Category-C considering the high test positivity rate (TPR).
The petitioner had submitted that the districts were included in Category-C considering the sudden spike in the number of COVID-19 cases. The State had recently issued the advisory that not more than 20 persons should assemble in these districts. However, the universities had ignored the unprecedented spike in the number of cases and the grim situation prevailing in these districts, the petitioner submitted.
According to the petitioner, it was highly unwise for the universities to conduct the examinations and risk the lives of the staff and students as the TPR was hovering around 50%. More students and teachers were getting infected, the petitioner submitted.
The petitioner had also submitted that the failure to reschedule the examinations, which were scheduled to be held on February 2 and 3, would result in the formation of clusters and serious spread of the disease.
