SC verdict on final-year exams: State doesn’t rule out review plea ›

We will have to take the opinion of the advocate general and officials from law and judiciary department before reaching a decision. UDAY SAMANT, higher and technical education minister

The Maharashtra government has not ruled out the possibility of filing a review petition on the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision over holding finalyear exams for professional and non-professional courses. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray discussed the issue with higher and technical education minister Uday Samant late on Friday.

“We respect the court’s decision. We will have to study it and take the opinion of the advocate general and officials from law and judiciary department before reaching a decision,” Samant said, in response to a query over filing a review petition against the Apex court’s ruling.

He assured students that they will be given sufficient time to prepare for the exams and also advised them to continue their studies.

“I will visit every university in the state and hold interactions with the vice-chancellors concerned as well as parents and students on how exams can be conducted safely, as their [students’] health is our top priority. The state will take its decision as soon as possible,”

MUMBAI :

Samant said.

On Friday, SC ruled that students cannot be promoted without giving the final-year exams. However, the court gave states the liberty to approach the University Grants Commission (UGC) if they wished to postpone the exams beyond the latter’s September 30 deadline in view of the Covid-19 outbreak. “We won’t conduct exams in haste. We will give sufficient time to students to prepare, as the Apex court has allowed the states to decide exam dates. UGC will be informed on when we will be in a position to hold the exams,” he said.

The state has been opposing the final-year exams for professional and non-professional courses, as Maharashtra has the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the country.

In July, Shiv Sena’s youth wing Yuva Sena, headed by state cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray, had also filed a writ petition in the Apex court against the UGC’S directive on holding exams.

After the verdict on Friday, Thackeray welcomed the decision and said the SC order reiterated the state’s demand to let state governments decide on when to hold the exams, and not conduct them by the September 30 deadline set by the UGC.

In a series of tweets, Thackeray wrote, “As Yuva Sena, we welcome the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court… The Hon’ble SC has reiterated that it is upto the respective State Governments to decide on when and how to hold examinations, not at the insistence of the 30th September deadline of the UGC. The Yuva Sena stands firmly for the well being and good health of the students, teachers, non teaching staff and their families (sic).”

The state had also earlier said that those students who wish to take the exams will be given the option to do so, when the state finds it is feasible.