SC Directs States To Conduct Exams as Per UGC Guidelines

New Delhi : The Supreme Court of India upholds the  July 6 circular of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to hold university final year exams in its verdict today. The Supreme Court was pronouncing its verdict on August 28 on the pleas challenging the decision of the University Grants Commission (UGC) asking universities and colleges to conduct final year exams by September 30 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The verdict was pronounced by a bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan. The bench had reserved its verdict on the issue on August 18. The UGC had told the top court that its July 6 directive, asking universities and colleges to conduct final year exams by September 30 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, is “not a diktat” but states cannot take the decision to confer degrees without holding the examinations. 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. Yuva Sena, the youth wing of Shiv Sena, is one of the petitioners in the apex court and has questioned the UGC’s directive to hold examinations during the novel coronavirus pandemic