The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi University to file a detailed affidavit regarding the mode of conducting the examination of the under-graduate courses, along with the schedule of the examination while providing clarity to the students.
The Division Bench comprising of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad also directed the Delhi University to consider the concerns and problems faced by the students in the affidavit. “We all have gone through the examination process which is nerve-wracking for the students, especially during the times of COVID-19 pandemic,” stated the court.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the University Grant Commission, informed the Court that the revised guidelines were issued on 6th July 2020, in which it was held that the universities are given a time period to conduct examinations by the end of September. Furthermore, he also submitted that the Universities were free to adopt whether to conduct the examination through online or offline mode, simultaneously, considering the Standard Operating Procedures released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. “University Grant Commission has not granted the permission to promote the final year students on the basis of internal assessments,” he added.
The Delhi High Court while acknowledging the above arguments has pulled the Delhi University for its emerging vague and ambiguous position regarding the examination plan.
Moreover, the Hon’ble Court allowed Senior Advocate Sachin Dutta’s prayer, appearing on behalf of Delhi University, who sought for granting a timeline as they have to produce a new program for management of the examination while keeping in mind the guidelines issued by the University Grant Commission.
The court ordered the Delhi University to file the affidavit on July 13 and has scheduled the next hearing for the proceedings on July 14.
(This news has been written and submitted by Ms. Vishakha Bhardwaj during her course of internship at B&B Associates LLP. Ms. Vishakha is a third-year law student at the Army Institute of Law, Mohali.)
