Yuva Sena Moves SC Against UGC’s Decision to Hold Final-Year Exams

The Yuva Sena filed the petition against the decision on final-year exams under the directions of Aaditya Thackeray.

The Yuva Sena on Saturday, 18 July, filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of University Grants Commission (UGC) to conduct final-year examinations in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the apex court has not yet admitted the petition for hearing.

The Yuva Sena filed the petition under the directions of its leader, Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Aaditya Thackeray, challenging the guidelines of the UGC and requesting the apex court that each university be allowed to chart out its own plan of action with regard to terminal semester/final-year examinations depending on the conditions in their states.

Thackeray also took to Twitter to speak about the move by the Yuva Sena.

Today Yuva Sena has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court with a humble prayer to save lives of lakhs of students, teachers, non teaching staff and their families by asking the UGC to not be stubborn about enforcing examinations when India has crossed the 10 lakh cases mark

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) July 18, 2020

The petition is for each and every student across the country, being forced to appear for an examination in an absolutely bizarre judgement of the situation by UGC and non flexibility when it comes to human safety

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) July 18, 2020

The UGC, on 6 July, said that final-year university examinations may be conducted by the end of September, either online, offline or through a combination of both.

The much-awaited announcement was made by Union Human Resource Development Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal, who said that the guidelines were revisited keeping in mind the “safety, career progression and placements of the students.”

In a press release dated 18 July, the Yuva Sena argued that the 31 guidelines announced by the UGC for conducting the final-year examinations would not be effective given the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The release also said that the Yuva Sena had written to the UGC and the MHRD on 9 May and 7 July respectively, asking for Final Year Examinations to be cancelled, requesting that students be passed and promoted to the next Year by evaluating them on the basis of average marks.

In light of this request being ignored, the release said that the Yuva Sena had approached the SC for the greater benefit of students across the country.

Earlier, final-year students of various educational institutions, colleges and universities of Maharashtra had petitioned the Bombay High Court seeking the cancellation of final-year exams and urgent declaration of results, stating that they are against the UGC Revised Guidelines which demand the conduct of exams amidst the pandemic.