[UGC VS STUDENTS] SC Hearing On Petitions Seeking Cancellation Of Final Year Exams [Courtroom Exchange]

SC asks if the same semester system is applicable across the country. This was in response to Maharashtra's submission that as of March 2020 5 semesters were completed in 3 yr courses and internal exam for 6th sem was also over.

Justice Bhushan: We’ve understood your case that in Maharashtra it is this system. But the entire country is different. What is your argument ?

Datar: I want to make one point clear. These Regulations apply across India.

Justice Shah: So, Universities have a choice about the kind of semester system they want to follow. 

Datar: The semester system is applicable throughout the country.

SG: It is not.

Datar: As per my instructions, it is. 

Justice Bhushan states that the arguments needs to be addressed in a manner which affects the entire country, and should not be limited to a State as UGC applies across the country. 

SG Mehta asks whether the pattern is present in all Universities.

Datar states that it’s the case for State of Maharashtra. 

Datar: Now today, we are only concerned with final exams. If there are 42 courses, the student has already completed 36. As of March, his CGPA will be the average of first five sems. 

Not holding the exams will not amount to dilution of standards, submits Senior Advocate Arvind Datar for Maharashtra in Students vs UGC case.

Datar: If I am a student of 1st semester, I write the courses and get the marks. Same for 2nd semester. Now a person gets the aggregate of these two sems which is called CGPA. 

Datar: Clause 6 read with Clause 8 of the 2003 Guidelines gives the picture that a student is evaluated from Day 1. This is different from what we had in our days.