No final-year tests, have urged apex bodies to give degrees, state government informs HC

The Maharashtra government on Friday informed the Bombay high court (HC) that it has appealed to the apex bodies of professional or non-professional courses to overlook

The Maharashtra government on Friday informed the Bombay high court (HC) that it has appealed to the apex bodies of professional or non-professional courses to overlook the conduction of final-year exams in the state and permit degrees to be issued by the respective universities.

HT Image

The government reiterated that it would not allow final-year examinations to be conducted in light of the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.

The state’s submission was made to the bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Anuja Prabhudessai, which was hearing multiple petitions seeking cancellation as well as conduction of exams.

One of the petitioners, represented by advocate Dr Uday Warunjikar, submitted that as the future of many students was compromised by the cancellation of exams, appropriate directions should be issued to ensure that the interests of the students are safeguarded.

Advocate Rajshekhar Govilkar for Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), on the other hand, submitted that post-graduate examinations had to be conducted as students required to be assessed physically to ascertain their skills and comprehension. He said that MUHS planned to conduct the exams from August 25. Govilkar submitted that a decision regarding undergraduate exams was yet to be taken.

Advocate Kuldeep Nikam, appearing for one of the petitioners, sought interim reliefs with regards to dental exams scheduled to start on August 3. Nikam submitted that as per the directions by the concerned authority, students had to reach the exam centres and also undergo quarantine. However, as Bombay Dental College had conveyed that it did not have sufficient facilities to provide quarantine to the students, the exams should be cancelled. In light of this, Nikam sought that the exams be held online rather than making students appear in person.

As there were multiple petitions, advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni submitted that to avoid confusion, a compilation of all petitions, public interest litigations (PIL), and intervention applications pertaining to the final-year exams should be submitted so that the hearings could be expedited.

After hearing the submissions, the court accepted the suggestion of the state, and directed all parties to submit their affidavits and replies by July 21, and posted all matters for hearing on July 31.