SC refuses to stay sem system in DU

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the semester system introduced by the Delhi University for undergraduate courses.

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the semester system introduced by the Delhi University for undergraduate courses.

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A bench of justices GS Singhvi and CK Prasad also refused to interfere with the Delhi high court order restraining the lecturers and professors from staging any form of protest or demonstration in the campus.

"We are not inclined to stay the (university) notification," the bench said, following which the agitating lecturers withdrew their appeal against the high court order.

Senior counsel Jayant Bhushan and counsel Tariq Adeeb, appearing for the petitioners assailed the university notification terming it as "arbitrary, illegal and introduced without proper application of mind."

The counsel argued that the university was choosing to push the notification for introduction of semester system from this academic year by invoking certain emergency powers vested in the varsity's vice-chancellor.

Bhushan submitted that the system was being introduced despite strong protest from both the teaching community and the students, as the system has no approval for the proposed new syllabus and curriculum for various subjects.

The arguments failed to convince the apex court which proceeded to dismiss the same but allowed its withdrawal after the counsel sought permission.