Degrees won’t be recognised if no exams held: UGC tells SC

The University Grants Commission (UGC) told the Supreme Court on Monday that degrees would not be recognised if no examinations are held for final-year students even as the country was facing coronavirus crisis.

The UGC response was conveyed by its counsel, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on a batch of pleas that challenged the UGC schedule for final-year university exams before September 30.

Mehta contended before a bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan that it's not in the interest of students to not hold exams. He asked the top court for time to file a reply to Delhi and Maharashtra governments' affidavits, wherein they said they had decided to cancel the exams in state universities.

The petitioners' counsel contended that the UGC guideline for holding exams are "not legally or constitutionally valid".

Mehta argued that Delhi's and Maharashtra's decisions to cancel exams in their respective state universities are against the UGC rules.

He argued that the UGC is the only body that can prescribe rules for conferring a degree, and the state governments cannot change the rules.

The counsel for one of the petitioners replied that there is complete inconsistency in the Ministry of Human Resource Development and UGC guidelines.

The top court adjourned the hearing till Friday, after the UGC asked for time to respond to the affidavits filed by Delhi and Maharashtra.