The youth wing of the Shiv Sena on Saturday announced that it had filed a PIL in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the University Grants Commission to hold final examinations in September.
In a press release, the Yuva Sena said it had filed the PIL in the Supreme Court on the directions of state Minister Aaditya Thackeray. Aaditya Thackeray is the president of the Yuva Sena.
In the press release, the Yuva Sena claimed the UGC and ministry of human resource development had announced final-year examinations in various universities would be conducted in September, ignoring the "physical and mental health, anxiety and safety of students across the country". Referring to the fact that India has recorded over 10 lakh COVID-19 cases, the Yuva Sena noted the 31 guidelines issued by the UGC to conduct the examinations would not be effective given the severity of the pandemic.
Aaditya Thackeray had written to the MHRD and UGC on May 9and July 7, respectively, requesting them to cancel the final-year examinations and pass and promote students to the next year based on average marks secured.
The Yuva Sena noted "it seems the UGC has not understood the full extent of the dilemma that the country is currently facing..." Last week, Aaditya Thackeray described the UGC's decision to hold examinations as absurd. He had tweeted, "The decision of the HRD Ministry of Union Govt, and the UGC is absolutely absurd and probably from an alternate universe. I urge UGC to not make this a silly issue of egos and realise that lakhs of lives of students, teachers, non teaching staff are at stake."
The Yuva Sena is seeking that each university be empowered to chart its own course of action on the final-year/semester examinations, depending on the local conditions in their state to provide relief for the students.
