Delhi University: HC refuses to interfere with DU's decision to hold physical examination

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to interfere with the Delhi University's decision to conduct physical examinations for the ongoing academic session later this year.

Justice Rekha Palli, who was hearing a petition by five outstation DU students, sought the stand of the university on the aspect of resumption of physical classes and asked the counsel for the DU to seek instructions on whether hybrid classes would be available for the remainder of the semester.

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The five students have challenged a February 9 order of the university directing the resumption of physical classes from February 17 onwards. The petitioners, represented by senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, also challenged another order dated February 11 which stated that all university examinations will be conducted in a physical mode in May.

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The petitioners have asserted that at a time when only about 21 days of classroom teaching is left in the ongoing semester, the notifications under challenge suffer from arbitrariness and non-application of mind as they fail to note that around 65 per cent of students are outstation candidates and a large percentage does not even have access to college hostels. Claiming that the petitioners were earlier “repeatedly informed” that classes would be held in hybrid mode, the petition filed through lawyer Pranjal Kishore has stated that “the decision to reopen colleges physically was a sudden and unpredictable change in policy” and also infringe upon their Right to Health.

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The petitioners have also highlighted that COVID-19 appropriate norms cannot be observed in PGs, hostels, or apartments where multiple students reside in one room and the order resuming physical classes does clarify how classes will take place the offline mode in a safe environment. The matter would be heard next on February 22.