(Dharshini.G, Intern journalist) Mumbai: In a statement documented in the Bombay High Court on Friday, higher education regulator UGC said the Maharashtra government doesn’t have the power to cancel final year exams in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The University Grants Commission or UGC filed the affidavit in response to an appeal recorded by Dhananjay Kulkarni, a resigned teacher and previous college senate member in Pune. Mr Kulkarni has challenged the state government’s choice to drop examinations of last year students of both professional and mom-professional courses.
The state government, taking into account the flow COVID-19 circumstance, had canceled last year’s assessments to be held in the state colleges and professional universities a month ago by expressing that it has the ability to do as such under the Epidemic Diseases Act and Disaster Management Act.
Be that as it may, news revealed that, the UGC today contended that these acts can not be summoned to “render the statutory provisions of another special Act such as The University Grants Commissioner Act nugatory”.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Dipankar Datta posted the issue for further hearing on July 31. The UGC has given two separate guidelines on April 29 and July 6, 2020, asking all colleges and institutions across the country to hold tests before the end of September 2020. The Maharashtra government’s decision was contrary to these guidelines given by the higher education regulator.
The rules were given after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs permitted holding of assessments by colleges and different establishments, the UGC said. The rules were given to ensure the scholastic and professional interests of students and simultaneously protect their wellbeing, it said.
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