HC restrains PU from holding final exams

GMCH AWAITING MCI GUIDELINES FOR CONDUCTING MBBS EXAMS

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday restrained Panjab University, Chandigarh, from holding final examinations in July.

The order was passed by HC bench of justice Ritu Bahri on the plea of six students. The varsity has been told to file its response by July 23.

Student’s counsel Harlove Singh Rajput said they had challenged the varsity’s direction given to final-year students to appear for their end-semester exams.

The court was told that as per the June 19 notification, PU will conduct the exams in July 2020.

The guidelines issued by University Grants Commission and the Centre are unanimous that there is no compulsion to hold exams. This has been stated in the case of Delhi University, the court was told.

The court was told that students from across the country study at PU and due to the Covid-19 pandemic, most of them have had to travel back to their home towns, which has further made it impossible to return without risking their health.

PU has nearly 200 colleges affiliated to it in Chandigarh and Punjab with a huge base of students from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, besides some students from far-off places such as Northeastern states.

“The travel will not just force students to face uncertainty and risk but they will also have to self-quarantine for multiple days according to the state guidelines. Thus, practically making it impossible for students to come and give the examinations and head back to their home after every exam,” the court was told.

It was also told that many of the students are from Jammu and Kashmir where due to 2G network, the students were not able to attend online classes.

Many other universities have already passed the final-year students and promoted the intermediate classes to the next year, the court was told.

CHANDIGARH: Officials at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, are awaiting the Medical Council of India’s guidelines to take a final call on conducting MBBS examinations. This comes days after Panjab University (PU), to which GMCH is affiliated, has decided to request the University Grants Commission (UGC) to review the decision on final semester examinations because of Covid-19 pandemic. “The institute is in favour of conducting examinations and it is a must for professional courses. In case there are two different thoughts on the matter, we will go by the directions of the Medical Council of India,” Dr BS Chavan, director-cum-principal of the college said.

He added that the examination for MD and MS courses were also conducted ensuring norms, and after taking due permission of the Chandigarh administration. At PU’S syndicate meeting on July 14, it was unanimously resolved that conducting exams now would not be safe for students or teachers.