Delhi High Court Asks Centre, UGC To Respond To Plea Against Mandatory Final Year Exams

The Delhi High Court Wednesday asked the Centre, UGC and Delhi University to reply to a plea challenging the guidelines making it mandatory for colleges to conduct final year examinations by September-end in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Justice Jayant Nath, who conducted the hearing through video conferencing, asked them to submit their responses within two weeks and listed the matter for further hearing on August 4, lawyer for the petitioner said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The plea, by DU student Kabir Sachdeva, challenged the UGC's July 6 guidelines making it mandatory for colleges to conduct final year exams by September-end via offline, online or a blended method.

Advocate Manik Dogra, representing Sachdeva, also challenged an office memorandum of July 6, passed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Development, Department of Higher Education, which provided instructions for conducting the exams along with standard operating procedures for conducting the exams.

“In times of a global pandemic the respondent no. 1 (HRD Ministry) and 2 (UGC) have placed irrational weightage on academic evaluation and completely neglected the importance of lives of thousands of students," said the plea, filed through advocates Dhruv Pande and Randeep Sachdeva.

"The UGC has also acted in contravention and beyond powers conferred upon them under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956,” it added.

It also sought to direct the authorities to promote final year students on the basis of average of the marks obtained in previous years and internal assessment in the present year.

On July 6, the UGC had issued revised exam guidelines mandating to hold final examinations in colleges and universities by the end of September stating that the academic credibility, career opportunities and future progress of students were linked to exams.

The plea claimed that the guidelines demonstrate non-application of mind and colourable exercise of power and set an illegitimate expectation for the public to follow putting a large sect of the population at a significant threat amid pandemic.

It alleged that the Union HRD Ministry and UGC are acting in gross violation of the fundamental rights of the students.