HC to DU: Start physical exams from September 14

HC to DU: Start physical exams from September 14

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:18.08.2020

Delhi high court on Monday directed Delhi University to start physical exams for final-year undergraduate students from September 14, and to work out modalities for stay and transportation of disabled students who left the national capital during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The court also told DU to verify the number of students belonging to persons with disability (PwD) category who were left out of online open book examination (OBE).

“You (DU) will have to find out where PwD students are located. Sufficient notice has to be given to them to allow them to travel. Can it be possible to allow them to take examinations where they are? By roping in the universities there?” a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad sought to know from DU.

The high court’s poser came after senior advocate S K Rungta, appearing for one of the petitioners National Federation of Blind (NFB), said there is an obligation on the state to take responsibility in certain circumstances and PwD students, who will have to take examinations physically, will face greater difficulties as hostels are still closed.

The court told DU that it needs to have specific figures on PwD students and the facilities that are to be provided to them.

“The university is directed to verify the number of PwD students who will sit for physical examination and work out the modalities of their stay and transport etc,” the bench said and asked it to file an affidavit in this regard.

The court was hearing pleas by law student Prateek Sharma and NFB seeking to set up effective mechanisms for visually impaired and other students with disabilities so that educational instructions can be given to them properly and teaching material is provided to them through online mode of teaching during the pandemic.

During the hearing, when the court suggested physical examinations be started from September 8, advocate Mohinder Rupal, appearing for DU, said the varsity needed at least two weeks from August 31. The court was informed that DU will start declaring results of students who participated in online OBE by September-end.