Final year exams: SC gives states, UGC three days to submit written arguments

Four states and Union territories – Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal and Odisha – Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to direct the University Grants Commission not impose the final year examination on lakhs of university students during an ongoing pandemic. The bench gave states and the UGC three days time to submit their final written arguments. The court shall also decide whether the states have power under Disaster Management Act to defer final examination till situation normalizes in contradictions to UGC’s guidelines. Senior Advocate Arvind Datar representing Maharashtra submitted that the state is the worst affected and highlighted two issues -- first, he submitted that “there is nothing arbitrary in a University taking a decision against UGC. He added, “We have been writing to the government to make them understand this situation.” UGC on 6 July had announced that colleges and universities will need to conduct final year and final semester exam by end September.