Supreme Court upholds UGC decision, says states cannot promote students without holding final year exams

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (August 28) ordered that no state government and universities can promote final year students without holding final year university examinations amid the COVID-19 pandemic, reported news agency PTI.

However, the Court gave states the discretion to approach the University Grants Commission (UGC) for an extension of the deadline by which final year exams should be completed.

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said if any state feels they can't conduct exams by that date, they must approach the UGC for new dates to hold the exam, said PTI.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (August 18) had reserved its order on a batch of pleas challenging a circular of the University Grants Commission (UGC) mandating to conduct the final term exams in all affiliated universities by the end of September.

The UGC, through an affidavit, had earlier told the Supreme Court that the decision of Delhi and Maharashtra government of cancelling the final term examination directly will "directly impact the standards of higher education in the country".

The affidavit was filed in on a batch of pleas challenging UGC's July 6 circular and seeking cancellation of final term examination in view of COVID-19 situation.

Earlier, the UGC had said that the July 6 guidelines are based on recommendations of experts and have been made after due deliberation and it is wrong to claim that it will not be possible to conduct the final examinations in terms of the guidelines.