The Supreme Court will today continue hearing in the matter related to the pleas challenging University Grants Commission's (UGC) revised guidelines of conducting final year university exams across the country. During Thursday's hearing, UGC remained adamant on its decision of not cancelling the final year exams, asking all universities of conducting final year exams by September end, saying July 6, 2020 revised guidelines offer sufficient flexibility and are intended to protect the academic future of students.

UGC exam guidelines: Supreme Court hearing
* Justice Ashok Bhushan led bench of the Supreme Court to shortly hear a batch of pleas challenging the UGC Guidelines mandating completion of final year exams by universities before Sept 30.
* The crucial hearing comes after the top court issued notice to and sought to know if health concerns raised by students apprehensive of appearing in the exams amid COVID19 is misplaced.
* The lead petition in the case was filed by Advocate Anubha Shrivastava Sahai. She is the President of India wide parents association and child rights activist. Sahai would be argued by Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava.
* Senior Advocate Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi will also represent final year law student Yash Dubey.
* Senior Advocate Shyam Divan will appear for Yuvasena chief Aditya Thackeray, Shiv Sena MLA from Worli in Maharashtra and son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

What students demand
* The petitioners demand cancellation of exams and award of degrees and marksheets on the basis of internal marks and past assessment.
* In a rebuttal to the UGC's reply, the lead petitioner in the case (31 students from all over India) have stated that UGC's reply ignores hassles of students and would make them face losses in employment options and admission.

What UGC told court on Thursday

* UGC filed a 50-page affidavit on a batch of petitions, including the one filed by Shiv Sena's youth wing 'Yuva Sena', which have challenged its guidelines issued on July 6 for holding the exams in September amidst the persisting coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
* UGC said it requested the expert committee to revisit the April 29 guidelines, by which it had asked the Universities and Institutions to hold final year examinations in July 2020.
* UGC said the expert committee recommended terminal semester/final year examinations should be conducted by universities/ institutions by the end of September, 2020 in offline (pen & paper)/ online/ blended (online + offline) mode.
* Based on the committee report, UGC said it immediately issued revised guidelines that all universities/ institutions are obligated to conduct terminal semester/final year exams by the end of September, 2020.
* UGC said it has issued such guidelines to 'protect the academic future of students across the country which will be irreparably damaged if their final year/terminal semester examinations are not held, while also keeping in mind their health and safety'.