Pleas challenging UGC Guidelines to hold final year university exams amid COVID-19: Supreme Court to take up matter after two days

The Supreme Court today said that it would take up after two days the petitions challenging the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines to hold final year university exams amid the COVID-19 pandemic (Praneeth K & Ors vs UOI)..The plea filed by 31 students from across India seeking the cancellation of final year university exams was listed today before a two-Judge Bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Hemant Gupta..However, Justice Rao stated that another Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan would take up the matter after two days..This, after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta pointed out that a similar plea seeking cancellation of final year university exams was heard and dismissed by Justice Bhushan..The matter referred to by SG Mehta - National Student Union v. Union of India - was disposed of today by the Bench of Justices Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy, and MR Shah..One of the 31 petitioners is COVID-19 positive. The petitioners have urged that the scheduled examinations be cancelled in the interest of justice, as the number of COVID-19 cases is on the rise.The students - hailing from 13 states and one union territory - have sought to quash the July 6 circular of the UGC, which directed universities to hold final year exams by September 30..[UGC Guidelines] Supreme Court to hear tomorrow pleas challenging UGC Guidelines mandating Final-Year University Exams by September end .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 Central Board of Secondary Education (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 internal/past assessment..31 students from across India move Supreme Court challenging UGC directive to hold Final Year Exams by September 30.Apart from this plea, another similar matter yet to be listed is a letter petition filed by Yash Dubey, a final year law student from Madhya Pradesh. Dubey has prayed that the Court take suo motu cognizance of the UGC guidelines, which had mandated universities across India to conduct final year examinations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic..The Aditya Thackeray-led Yuva Sena had also approached the Apex Court to quash the 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. In this light, the 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 examinations or are planning to do so. 177 universities are yet to decide on the conduct of the examinations, the UGC said.In the case of 27 private universities, established from 2019-2020 till date, the first batch is yet to become eligible for the final examination, the Commission had said.