Delhi HC refuses to interfere with Delhi University's decision to hold offline exams

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to interfere with the Delhi University's decision to hold its upcoming semester examinations in physical mode. Justice Rekha Palli, who was dealing with a petition by several students seeking examinations in the open-book mode in view of the COVID-19 cases, said that this was not the stage to issue any directions and granted liberty to the petitioners to approach the court in case of any change in the circumstances.

The judge allowed the petitioners to withdraw the petition and said that the pleas were “dismissed as withdrawn”. The petitioner stated that they were either outstation students or were enrolled in the open learning courses and after the cases of COVID-19 started spreading in Delhi and other parts of the country, concerns were raised concerning DU not conducting their examination through Open Book Mode (OBE) as it is not safe to travel in the prevailing situation.

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“It is very pertinent to mention here that in the prevalent situation when the COVID cases are rapidly increasing, the Respondent No.1 (DU) ought to have re-considered the impugned notice dated 11.02.2022 whereby decision has been taken to conduct the examination of Even Semester through offline mode,” the petition said.

The petition argued that the decision under challenge is wholly arbitrary, illegal, and unreasonable in prevalent circumstances and there was no justification for conducting the examination in May in physical mode, especially when in spite of the resumption of physical classes, classes continued in virtual mode.