Delhi, Maharashtra governments’ decision to cancel final term exams will affect educational standards: UGC tells Supreme Court

New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has advised the Supreme Court that the choice of the Delhi and Maharashtra governments to cancel the ultimate time period examination will “directly impact the standards of higher education in the country”.

The UGC filed an affidavit on Delhi and Maharashtra governments` stand of not conducting the ultimate time period University exams. It stated that the UGC has taken the coverage resolution to conduct closing 12 months/ terminal semester examinations within the curiosity of scholars throughout the nation after duly contemplating the prevailing state of affairs of a pandemic.

“The UGC is the apex body for regulating the standards of higher education in the country, including the standards of examination,” it added. The affidavit was filed on a batch of pleas difficult UGC`s July 6 round and in search of cancellation of ultimate time period examination in view of COVID-19 state of affairs. Earlier, Delhi and Maharashtra governments` had advised the highest court docket that they’ve cancelled the examination within the states.

“The decision of state governments will directly impact the standards of higher education in the country, which the UGC is mandated to maintain,” the UGC submitted. 

It added that in train of its powers below the UGC Act, the UGC first revealed the Guidelines dated April 29, 2020 which laid down a coverage backed by statute that each one larger schooling establishments should conduct closing 12 months/ terminal semester examinations in order “to protect the academic and career interests of students” whereas, on the identical time, safeguarding their well being.”

Subsequently, the UGC issued the Revised Guidelines dated July 6, 2020 which re-emphasised the necessity to conduct terminal/ closing examinations, be it within the type of course-ending terminal semester examination or closing annual examination, as a result of it’s a essential step within the tutorial profession of a scholar. 

Therefore, the UGC has issued such tips to guard the tutorial future of scholars throughout the nation which can be irreparably broken if their closing 12 months / terminal semester examinations should not held, whereas additionally protecting in thoughts their well being and security,” the affidavit of the UGC said.

“The State`s decision to cancel final year/ terminal semester examinations and graduate students without such examinations, encroaches on the legislative field of coordinating and determining the standards of higher education that is exclusively reserved for Parliament under Entry 66 of List I of Schedule VH of the Constitution. As such, the State Government`s decision is contrary to the UGC`s Guidelines which have been issued for maintaining the standards of higher education, and is void ab initio,” the affidavit additional said.

The affidavit additional added that the examination/ evaluation course of was really accomplished by on-line mode in six out of the eight State universities/establishments in Delhi, regardless of the pandemic.

In any occasion, the UGC was acutely aware of the difficulties confronted within the teaching-learning course of whereas issuing the Guidelines of April four and the Revised Guidelines of July 6, 2020, it stated.

The UGC stated it has addressed the issues regarding the evolving state of affairs of the pandemic by offering enough time until the tip of September 2020 to conduct the ultimate 12 months / terminal semester examinations after following the prescribed protocols and procedures regarding Covid-19; by giving enough flexibility to universities/ establishments to conduct such examinations in on-line, offline (pen and paper) or blended (on-line + offline) mode; and by offering for an examination by way of particular probability for college students who “for whatsoever the reason(s) may be” are unable to seem for the examinations performed by a college/establishment by finish of September 2020.

The state governments have unilaterally chosen to cancel the ultimate 12 months/terminal semester examinations and graduate college students utilizing “alternative assessment measures” in contravention of the UGC`s Guidelines, although it was required to carry such examinations within the curiosity of the scholars, it stated.