(Riya Singh, Intern Journalist): The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing, of the plea against UGC order to hold final year exams, to August 18. The top court was hearing a plea filed by students against the UGC order to conduct final year exams by September 30. A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Subhash Reddy, and MR Shah started the hearing at 10.30 am. The hearing went on till 1 pm.
Senior advocate Shyam Divan arguing for petitioners told the Court that students constitute a homogenous class and health of final year students is equally important as other students of other year batches. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi also appearing for another petitioner argued that colleges across India cannot be expected to have the same facilities. Many colleges have not held classes.
Delhi and Maharashtra took a considered view to cancel exams after consulting VCs of their state universities who said many students were digitally handicapped.
Singhvi said that prior notifications of UGC issued on April 15, May 1 and June 29 realized the pandemic situation and gave flexibility to universities to either conduct or not conduct exams. Now when the pandemic is at its peak, how can UGC decide to hold mandatory exams when teaching has not been held.
Advocate Shyam Divan argued that the National Disaster Management act will have an overriding effect over the UGC act and these are just guidelines. Section 72 of the Act states that provisions of NDMA will override all Acts.
Earlier on Thursday, the home ministry filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that it has given relaxations to colleges and universities across the country and allowed them to open for the conduct of final-year examinations, which will be held in accordance with an order issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
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