The Supreme Court of India (SC) on Tuesday heard the students' plea challenging the University Grants Commission (UGC) mandate that requires universities across the country to conduct the final year examinations by September 30 amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak.
A 3-member bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and MR Shah reserved its judgement and directed all the parties to submit a note on their submissions within the next three days.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court questioned if it's possible for universities to dilute standards fixed by UGC. "If there is a direction of UGC, the university cannot dilute it. If one university dilutes it, every other university will act in the same manner."
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for UGC noted that while the universities can seek an extension of the September 30 deadline, they do not have the right to confer degrees without holding examinations.
The top court began the hearing at 11 AM, on the pleas challenging the final-year examination guidelines issued by UGC.
What happened in the last Supreme Court hearing?
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for the UGC, to file a response to the affidavits and the question regarding the Disaster Management Act. He also walked the Supreme Court through the entire scheme of the UGC to help conduct the examinations safely and how students ought to keep preparing for the final year examinations.
Earlier on August 10, the Solicitor General had told the Supreme Court that the UGC is the only body that can prescribe rules for conferring a degree and that states cannot change the rules. He also contested that conducting the final year examinations, as decreed by the UGC, is mandatory and it is not in the interest of students to not have exams.
What is the Students vs UGC case all about?
The petitioners argue that it is unsafe in the current situation of the pandemic to conduct the examinations. The UGC has said that there was enough time to conduct the examinations in a manner that the universities see fit.
While states such as Maharashtra and Delhi have officially opposed the UGC decree and have cancelled the final year examinations in the respective state universities, the UGC has, in turn, contested that the final year examinations are mandatory as the degree cannot be allotted without proper assessment.
