UGC Guidelines on Final Year Exams 2020: SC Postpones Hearing to August 14, Disappointed Students Once Again Flood Twitter With #StudentsAgainstUGCGuidelines
The Supreme Court hearing in the UGC case challenging the guidelines that mandate final year examinations was supposed to be held today, August 10, 2020. However, the decision has now been postponed to August 14, 2020. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been granted time to file a reply on the affidavits to Delhi and Maharashtra Governments. Meanwhile, according to media reports, Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, who is appearing for UGC, stated that the students should continue to prepare for their final year exams. The disappointed students have flood Twitter, once again with #StudentsAgainstUGCGuidelines. Various tweets accompanying the said hashtag display the anger and dissatisfaction among students and their concerned parents for UGC’s decision to conduct the exams amid the pandemic.
Also Read | Final Year University Exams in Delhi Stand Cancelled, AAP Govt Tells Supreme Court
When UGC released exam guidelines urging the colleges and universities to conduct the final exams mandatorily by the end of September, 2020, students opposed the decision and took to social media displaying their disagreement over it. A plea was filed by 31 students from 13 states and one union territory to cancel the exams. UGC’s decision to conduct the final year examinations was also opposed by several state governments like Maharashtra and West Bengal.
According to reports, in today’s hearing, SG Mehta question as to how states can cancel exams. He sought time to file a reply to the affidavits by the states. “Students should continue to prepare for the exams (final-year). If exams are not conducted, students cannot get the degree. That is the law,” SG Mehta was quoted in reports, as saying. #StudentsAgainstUGCGuidelines trends again on Twitter, as students display their disagreement of conducting the final year exams during a pandemic.
Students Unhappy!
It's such a risk that UGC has allowed Universities and Institutions to conduct exams.
You are not allowed to risk lives of students.
While per day cases are going more then 65k Please cancel the exams.#studentsAgainstUGCGuidelines
@DrRPNishank @HRDMinistry pic.twitter.com/2b3Wlbd0Oq
— Abhishek Trivedi (@Abhishe02756225) August 10, 2020
Students Unhappy With Hearing Date Being Postponed Again!
UGC has not filed its reply till today's hearing. The SC has scheduled the next hearing on 14th Aug. Why is the UGC playing with the lives of the students? Why is this being delayed again and again?#StudentsInSCForJustice #StudentsLivesMatter #studentsAgainstUGCGuidelines pic.twitter.com/EQuf1YKhGC
— The CSR Journal (@thecsrjournal) August 10, 2020
Students Again Exams During Pandemic
Students against exams in the period of Pandemic hence fighting for justice in SC. Next hearing on 14th August.#StudentsInSCForJustice#StudentsLivesMatter#studentsAgainstUGCGuidelines pic.twitter.com/V7wpchHlSl
— Tausif Jafar Khan (@TausifJafar) August 10, 2020
Health First
#studentsAgainstUGCGuidelines
Health more important than exam pic.twitter.com/of1aQIhgzv— Vaja Rakesh (@VajaRakesh5) August 10, 2020
More Tweets Surface Questioning UGC
Due to delay in ruling of the SC students are facing increase in pressure nd anxiety
Atleast care for our mental health ! seriously our lives don't have any value ?#studentsAgainstUGCGuidelines@DrAshwani_Kumar @advocate_alakh @anubha1812 @AUThackeray @HRDMinistry @nsui @guptar— Shafaisal Kazi (@KaziShafaisal) August 10, 2020
On July 30, UGC had informed SC that if students are unable to appear in the September exams, he or she will be given an opportunity to appear at the specially conducted exam at a later date. But the 31 lead petitioners refused to accept this and said that it would only create trouble for students if exams keep getting postponed. They plead the commission to cancel the final year exams in the interest of justice and students’ health as the number of coronavirus cases are increasing rapidly across the country.
