Final Year University exams must be conducted, says SC

by | Aug 28, 2020 | University Grants Commission (UGC) | 0 comments

Supreme Court verdict on UGC Guidelines

The Supreme Court on Friday has given its verdict on UGC Guidelines to conduct the final year university exams by September 30, 2020. As per the SC verdict, the exam must be conducted, but it is not compulsory to be held before September 30. The States can approach UGC for extension in the September 30 deadline.

The A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and MR Shah who heard the matter has ruled that while the examinations can be cancelled by the states under the Disaster Management Act, the degrees cannot be promoted. The states in turn can approach UGC to get extension of its September 30 deadlines.

The recent UGC Guidelines made it mandatory for all the universities to conduct the final year exams by September 30, in online, offline, or blended mode. Multiple petitions were filed in the Supreme Court to quash the UGC Guidelines of July 6, 2020. The petitioners also asked to cancel the final year exam and promote students on the basis of internal assessment and previous semester marks.

After the Supreme Court’s judgment, the September 30 deadline is no longer valid.

SC Final Decision on UGC Guidelines

  • Prayer for quashing the UGC revised guidelines of July 6, 2020, and office memorandum of July 6, 2020, is REFUSED.
  • Decisions taken by State Disaster Management authorities under the disaster management act shall prevail over the UGC guidelines as regards the deadline of September 30, 2020, for conducting the final exams.
  • Decision taken by state disaster management authorities to promote the final year students on the basis of previous semester/ year results and internal assessments is beyond the jurisdiction/ powers under the DM Act and has to give way to the UGC guidelines.
  • Final semester/ year students cannot be promoted without the final exams.
  • If any state/ Union Territory cannot hold the final semester/ year exam, they must write to UGC to push the deadline of September 30, 2020 and apply for an extension, which shall be considered by the UGC expeditiously

 

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