[UGC Guidelines] Supreme Court to hear tomorrow pleas challenging UGC Guidelines mandating Final-Year University Exams by September end

A two-Judge Bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Hemant Gupta will hear tomorrow the plea by 31 students across India seeking the cancellation of final year university exams, which the UGC had directed to be conducted by September end (Praneeth K & Ors vs UOI)..31 students from across India move Supreme Court challenging UGC directive to hold Final Year Exams by September 30.One among the 31 petitioners is COVID-19 positive. The petitioners have urged that the planned examinations be cancelled in the interest of justice for the students as the number of COVID-19 cases is on the rise..The students from 13 States and one Union Territory have sought to quash the July 6 circular of the UGC whereby all universities all across India have been asked to wrap up final year or final term examinations before September 30..The petition filed through Advocate Anubha Srivastava Sahai has prayed that after cancelling the final year exams of all universities, the results of such students should be calculated on the basis of their internal assessment or past performance. It is also urged that the students' mark sheets should be issued before July 31..The plea to be argued by Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava further prays for a direction to the UGC to adopt the CBSE model and conduct an examination at a later date for those students who are not satisfied with the marks awarded on the basis of their internal/past assessment..Apart from this plea, the Court will also hear a letter petition filed by Yash Dubey, a final year law student from Madhya Pradesh who had prayed that the Court take suo motu cognizance of the UGC guidelines, which had mandated Universities across India to conduct final year examinations even during COVID-19 pandemic..Even the Aditya Thackeray led Yuva Sena had approached the top Court to quash the impugned UGC guidelines..According to a press release by the party, the Yuva Sena has submitted that the current condition in India is only deteriorating owing to the COVID-19 crisis and that this time is not conducive to conduct examinations..Aaditya Thackeray led Yuvasena moves Supreme Court against UGC's decision to conduct Final Exams in COVID-19 scare.Earlier this week, the UGC said that over 640 universities responded on the question of holding varsity exams amid the pandemic. Out of these, 454 have either conducted the examination or are planning to conduct exams. 177 universities are yet to decide on the conduct of the examination, the UGC said..In the case of 27 private universities, established during 2019-2020 till date, the first batch is yet to become eligible for the final examination, the commission had said.