States cannot promote final year students without holding university exams: Supreme Court

 The Supreme Court on August 28 said that final year university exams will be conducted as per the rules of University Grants Commission
 

On August 28, the apex court said that final year university exams will be conducted as per the rules of University Grants Commission.

The court added that the states cannot promote students without holding exams.

 A three judge bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan pronounced the judgement on the students' plea against UGC.

The court added that states have to consult the varsity body for fixing fresh dates for final examination as they have power under Disaster Management Act to order only postponement of exams in view of a pandemic.
 

The court had reserved its order on the students' plea against the University Grants Commission's decision to make final-year exams compulsory on August 18.

This plea is against UGC's July 7 decision asking institutes to conduct final year exams by September 30.

According to reports, the petitioners have demanded that the final year students should also be evaluated using alternative methods

The report added that UGC had told the apex court that its July 6 directive, asking universities and colleges to conduct final year exams by September 30 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and states cannot take decision to confer degrees without holding the examinations.

 UGC had told the court that the directive is for the benefit of students as the universities have to start admissions to postgraduate courses and state authorities cannot override the UGC's guideline.