Reconsider holding exams for final-year students: HC to PU

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday asked the Panjab University to consider whether it can promote final-year students on the basis of their score in the previous semesters.

The direction was passed after the petitioner students, who have approached the court demanding scrapping of the exams, told the court that the Maharashtra government and Central University of Tamil Nadu have decided to pass students on the basis of their performance in previous semesters.

The order was passed by the HC bench of justice Ritu Bahri on the plea of six students. The students have challenged the varsity’s directive for final-year students to appear for their last-semester exams.

They have argued 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, including north-eastern 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,” they have told court.

The high court, while deferring the hearing till August 13, said the interim order as passed on July 15 will continue. It was on July 15 that high court had restrained PU from holding exams in July.

On July 18, the varsity had decided to promote all students except outgoing batches.