UGC GUIDELINES | FINAL YEAR EXAMINATIONS

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan pronounced judgement that UGC final year examinations will have to be conducted but states are allowed to discuss with the UGC to extend the deadline, if required.

     The Supreme Court of India on August 28, on UGC final year exam today upheld the July 6 circular of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to conduct the exams. In their plea to the SC, students had challenged the decision of the UGC asking universities and colleges to conduct final year exams by September 30 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The verdict pronounced by a bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said that exams are a must to promote students. However, in slight relief, the apex court also said the states can choose to defer the exams in discussion with UGC. However, the final decision rests with the UGC and will be binding on states.

The bench had reserved its verdict on the issue on August 18. The UGC had told the top court that its July 6 directive, asking universities and colleges to conduct final year exams by September 30 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, is "not a diktat" but states cannot take the decision to confer degrees without holding the examinations. It had told the court that the directive is for the "benefit of students" as the universities have to start admissions to postgraduate courses and state authorities cannot override the UGC's guideline. Yuva Sena, the youth wing of Shiv Sena, is one of the petitioners in the apex court and has questioned the UGC's directive to hold examinations during the novel coronavirus pandemic.