New Delhi, Aug 14 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Friday scheduled to hear pleas challenging UGC guidelines that mandate final year examinations on August 18.
The students have been opposing the top education body's decision to hold the tests by September-end amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Senior Counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing on behalf of Yash Dubey, one of the petitioners, told the Apex Court that this is a matter of life and health.
He added that states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Odisha have decided not to conduct exams.
Mr Singhvi told the top court that the Ministry of Home Affairs has been consistent in its decision as regards educational institutes. Colleges and schools have been closed for five months.
'How can the test conduct without teaching? Furthermore, this is a special case and scenario of the pandemic. How can exams be conducted when classes were disrupted?,' he argued.
He pointed out that there is great disparity of students that would be appearing for the examination. Many students would have to travel for the exams, which poses direct risk in these situation of pandemic.
The Apex Court bench comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan, Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice MR Shah, had granted time to the University Grants Commission (UGC) to file responses to the affidavits filed by Maharashtra and Delhi in the matter.
In its earlier reply, the UGC had called the decision contradictory, as the states were talking about cancelling the exams, while the process of admissions for the new academic session is impending.
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