Over a dozen students from across the country have moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of UGC guidelines dated July 6, whereby all the universities/ colleges have been instructed to conduct final year Examinations by September 30, 2020, legal news website LiveLaw.in has reported.
The petitioners, which include a COVID-19 positive student, have pointed out that there are many final year students, who themselves or their family members are COVID-19 positive.
"Forcing such students to appear in the final year University Examination on 30.09.2020, is flagrantly violative of their Right to Life, as enshrined within Article 21 of Constitution of India," they have submitted.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had permitted the conduct of exams by Universities and Institutions vide a notification dated July 6, 2020 and had ordered the universities to compulsorily conduct examination of final year students as per UGC guidelines and Standard Operating Procedure.
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In furtherance of the aforementioned notification, UGC has issued revised guidelines for university examination for terminal semester students whereby it instructed Universities to conduct exams in offline (pen & paper)/ online/ blended (offline + online) mode.
The plea asserts that usually marksheets/ degrees are awarded to the students by 31st of July. In the present case however, the examinations will be wrapped up by September 30.
"Due to such belated award of marksheets/ degrees, the petitioners herein and many other final year students will be deprived from precious opportunities of getting admission in higher courses and/or getting jobs, which will be again violative of Article 14," they apprehend.
It is thus submitted that final year students should also be placed at par with the students of CBSE, ICSE, ISC, NIOS etc. that cancelled their 10th/ 12th Board Examinations due to COVID-19 pandemic and declared results on the basis of "past performance/ internal assessment" of students.
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On this note, they have sought for a direction to the UGC to complete internal assessment and award final results/ degrees to the successful final year students, on or before July 31, 2020.
Other grievances raised by the petitioners include:
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On a related note, the Bombay High Court recently issued notices to the state of Maharashtra, University Grants Commission and Bar Council of India in a PIL filed by a law student seeking cancellation of final year examinations during the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19.
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