SC upholds UGCs decision to hold final year exams by September 30

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld University Grants Commission’s July 6 circular to hold University final year exams by September 30, reported ANI.

As per reports, court says “States must hold exams to promote students”. It says, “states under Disaster management Act can postpone exams in view of pandemic and can consult UGC to fix dates.”

The apex court said that ‘students cannot be promoted without University final year exams’.

The UGC had earlier asked colleges and universities to conduct the exams within the due date, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, which had reserved the verdict on August 18, announced the decision. 

The UGC told the apex court that its July 6 order to colleges and universities asking them to hold exams, was “not a diktat”, but states could not make the decision of conferring degrees to final year students, without conducting tests.

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.